UK name, mostly girls
Lauren
A feminine given name of French origin meaning "laurel" or "laurel tree".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Lauren is mostly registered for girls in the UK records. People looking for Lauren popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #934, with 38 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1996, with 6,299 births.
This profile covers 50,664 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 1% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 66,237 living people in the UK are called Lauren. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Lauren ranked #934 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 38 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1996, when 6,299 girls were registered as Lauren.
- • Lauren ranks best in North East in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #1 in 2001.
- • About 66,237 living people in the UK are estimated to have Lauren as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 100.0% of Lauren registrations are for girls.
Latest rank (E&W)
#934
2024
Births in 2024
38
Latest year
Peak year
1996
6,299 births
Estimated living
66,237
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Lauren
In England and Wales birth records, Lauren has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 0.0% of registrations are for boys and 100.0% are for girls.
These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.
Lauren registered for boys
- Ranked #2,863 in 1996
- 3 boys registered in 1996
- Peak: 1996 (3 births)
Lauren registered for girls
- Ranked #934 in 2024
- 38 girls registered in 2024
- Peak: 1996 (6,299 births)
Meaning
What does Lauren mean?
The name Lauren is derived from the Latin name Laurentius, which is a derivative of the Roman family name Laurentius. This name traces its origins to the ancient Roman settlement of Laurentum, located in the area now known as Lazio, Italy. The name Laurentum is believed to be related to the Latin word "laurus," meaning "laurel," a plant that was considered sacred in ancient Roman culture.
During the early days of Christianity, the name Laurentius gained significance as it was borne by St. Laurentius, a 3rd-century deacon who was martyred in Rome during the persecution of Christians under the Roman Emperor Valerian. St. Laurentius is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church, and his feast day is celebrated on August 10th.
The feminine form of the name, Lauren, emerged in the Middle Ages as a variant of the masculine Laurentius. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lauren can be found in the 13th-century French epic poem, "La Chanson de Roland," where it appears as a character name.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Lauren. One of the earliest was Lauren d'Angers (c. 1280-1340), a French theologian and philosopher who taught at the University of Paris. Another notable Lauren was Lauren de Medicis (1515-1576), a noblewoman from the powerful Medici family of Florence, Italy, who became the Queen of France through her marriage to King Henry II.
In the realm of literature, Lauren Groff (born 1978) is a celebrated American novelist and short story writer, known for her works such as "Fates and Furies" and "Matrix." Lauren Bacall (1924-2014) was a renowned American actress who rose to fame in the 1940s and had a successful career spanning over six decades.
In the world of music, Lauren Hill (born 1975) is an American singer, songwriter, and rapper, best known for her debut solo album "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill," which won multiple Grammy Awards. Lauren Jauregui (born 1996) is a Cuban-American singer and songwriter, known for her work as a member of the girl group Fifth Harmony.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Lauren over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Lauren in England and Wales, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Lauren, the clearest high point is 1996. The latest England and Wales figure is 38 births in 2024, compared with 6,299 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Lauren by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Lauren was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #749 | 266 | 5 |
| 2010s | #197 | 3,979 | 10 |
| 2000s | #29 | 24,747 | 10 |
| 1990s | #7 | 21,672 | 4 |
Geography
Where Lauren is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Lauren. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Lauren ranks best in North East in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #1 in 2001.
Across the UK
Lauren in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#638 in 2024
51 years of NRS records, 13,634 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#264 in 2023
27 years of NISRA records, 2,428 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Lauren
-
Lauren Spencer-Smith
singer-songwriter
Canadian singer and songwriter
2003-
-
Lauren Williams
taekwondo athlete
British taekwondo practitioner
1999-
-
Lauren Torley
rugby union player
England international rugby union player
1999-
-
Lauren Rowles
rower
British sports person
1998-
-
Lauren Quigley
swimmer
British swimmer
1995-
-
Lauren Taylor
golfer
golfer
1994-
-
Lauren Williams
association football player
English footballer
1994-
-
Lauren Price
association football player; kickboxer; boxer
Welsh boxer and footballer
1994-
Related
Names similar to Lauren
- Lily 72,956
- Lucy 70,663
- Leah 33,185
- Lola 24,525
- Layla 24,520
- Laura 23,471
- Lilly 21,714
- Lydia 18,353
- Libby 14,515
- Lara 13,415
- Lacey 13,406
- Lexi 13,310
FAQ
Lauren: questions and answers
How popular is the name Lauren in the UK right now?
In 2024, Lauren was ranked #934 for girls in England and Wales, with 38 births registered.
When was Lauren most popular?
The peak year on record was 1996, with 6,299 babies registered as Lauren in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Lauren?
A feminine given name of French origin meaning "laurel" or "laurel tree".
How many people are called Lauren in the UK?
A total of 50,664 babies have been registered as Lauren across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 13,634 more in Scotland and 2,428 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Lauren most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Lauren ranks best in North East, where it placed #1 in 2001. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.