UK boy's name
Lawrence
A masculine name of Latin origin meaning "laurel plant" or "man from Laurentum".
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.
Lawrence is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Lawrence popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #576, with 66 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1996, with 226 births.
This profile covers 3,403 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 29% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 3,811 living people in the UK are called Lawrence. 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
- • Lawrence ranked #576 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 66 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1996, when 226 boys were registered as Lawrence.
- • Lawrence ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #263 in 2003.
- • About 3,811 living people in the UK are estimated to have Lawrence as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#576
2024
Births in 2024
66
Latest year
Peak year
1996
226 births
Estimated living
3,811
2026
Meaning
What does Lawrence mean?
The name Lawrence originates from the Latin name Laurentius, which is derived from the Roman family name Laurentius, meaning "from Laurentum". Laurentum was an ancient city in Latium, a region of central Italy. The name is also associated with the laurel plant, which was a symbol of victory and honor in ancient Rome.
In the early Christian era, the name gained popularity due to St. Lawrence, a deacon in the Catholic Church who was martyred in Rome in 258 AD. He is one of the most venerated saints in the Catholic Church, and his feast day is celebrated on August 10th. The name appears in various early Christian texts and records of martyrs.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Lawrence is Lawrence of Canterbury, who served as the second Archbishop of Canterbury from 604 to 619 AD. Another notable figure was Lawrence of Rome, a Roman deacon who was martyred along with St. Sixtus II in 258 AD.
Throughout history, several prominent individuals have borne the name Lawrence. Here are five examples:
1. Lawrence of Arabia (1888-1935), a British archaeologist, military officer, and writer, best known for his role in the Arab Revolt during World War I.
2. Lawrence Olivier (1907-1989), a renowned English actor and director, considered one of the greatest performers of the 20th century.
3. Lawrence Ferlinghetti (1919-2021), an American poet, painter, and co-founder of the City Lights Bookstore in San Francisco, which played a significant role in the Beat Generation.
4. Lawrence Oates (1880-1912), a British Antarctic explorer who sacrificed his life during Robert Falcon Scott's ill-fated Terra Nova expedition to the South Pole.
5. Lawrence of Brindisi (1559-1619), an Italian Capuchin friar, scholar, and diplomat, who was canonized as a saint by the Catholic Church in 1698.
The name Lawrence has been widely used across various cultures and regions, with variations in spelling and pronunciation, reflecting the diverse linguistic and cultural influences it has encountered throughout its long history.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Lawrence over time
The chart below shows babies named Lawrence registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, 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 Lawrence, the clearest high point is 1996. The latest England and Wales figure is 66 births in 2024, compared with 226 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Lawrence by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Lawrence 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 | #533 | 362 | 5 |
| 2010s | #400 | 1,048 | 10 |
| 2000s | #293 | 1,152 | 10 |
| 1990s | #163 | 841 | 4 |
Geography
Where Lawrence is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Lawrence. 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.
Lawrence ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #263 in 2003.
Across the UK
Lawrence in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#533 in 2023
44 years of NRS records, 437 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#263 in 2003
3 years of NISRA records, 10 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Lawrence
-
Lawrence Williams
cricketer
Welsh cricketer
1946-2023
-
Lawrence Whalley
psychiatrist; psychologist
British mental health professor
1946-2024
-
Lawrence Wright
cricketer
English cricket (born 1940)
1940-
-
Lawrence Weiskrantz
psychologist; university teacher
British psychologist (1926–2018)
1926-2018
-
Lawrence "Lawrie" Bond
businessperson; engineer; car designer; designer
British engineer and designer (1907-1974)
1907-1974
-
Lawrence Wright
composer; publisher
British composer (1888–1964)
1888-1964
-
Lawrence Bruce
wrestler
British wrestler
1875-1958
-
Lawrence of Durham
writer; historian; hagiographer
British writer
1110-1154
Related
Names similar to Lawrence
- Luke 72,247
- Lewis 69,555
- Leo 63,249
- Liam 60,482
- Lucas 49,061
- Logan 40,771
- Louis 35,898
- Luca 30,323
- Louie 24,242
- Leon 22,308
- Levi 9,931
- Lee 7,861
FAQ
Lawrence: questions and answers
How popular is the name Lawrence in the UK right now?
In 2024, Lawrence was ranked #576 for boys in England and Wales, with 66 births registered.
When was Lawrence most popular?
The peak year on record was 1996, with 226 babies registered as Lawrence in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Lawrence?
A masculine name of Latin origin meaning "laurel plant" or "man from Laurentum".
How many people are called Lawrence in the UK?
A total of 3,403 babies have been registered as Lawrence across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 437 more in Scotland and 10 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Lawrence most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Lawrence ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #263 in 2003. 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.