How Many People Are Named Lawrence?
An estimated 241,985 people in the United States have the first name Lawrence. While not in the top 50, it remains a well-known name ranking #211 overall. It is predominantly male (99.5%). The average bearer is 63 years old, and Lawrence peaked in popularity in 1952 with 10,336 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Lawrence as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, and state-by-state birth registrations. You can also check how many people share the full name Lawrence paired with any surname.
Key Insights
- While Lawrence is overwhelmingly male, 2,180 female births have been registered with this name since 1880.
- Lawrence has fallen dramatically from its peak in the 1950s. Recent registrations are less than 5% of what they were at the name's height.
Estimated Living Americans
241,985
About 1 in 1,416 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Common
Predicted Gender
Male
99.5% confidence
Average Age
63
years old
Peak Year
1952
10,336 births
Total Registered
462,765
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Lawrence
Lawrence is almost exclusively a male name. Out of 462,765 total births registered, 99.5% were male.
Lawrence as a male name
Ranked #509 in 2024
596 male births in 2024
Peak: 1952 (10,302 births)
Lawrence as a female name
Ranked #9,254 in 2024
11 female births in 2024
Peak: 1927 (44 births)
Lawrence: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Lawrence span from the 1880s to the 2020s, covering 15 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1950s, when 91,385 babies were registered. Lawrence has declined significantly from its peak in the 1950s. Recent registrations are a fraction of what they were at the name's height.
Lawrence by Decade
How has Lawrence tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
| Decade | Total | Male | Female | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 2,919 | 2,919 | 0 | |
| 1890s | 4,622 | 4,597 | 25 | |
| 1900s | 6,895 | 6,846 | 49 | |
| 1910s | 36,543 | 36,354 | 189 | |
| 1920s | 57,176 | 56,867 | 309 | |
| 1930s | 54,759 | 54,486 | 273 | |
| 1940s | 80,715 | 80,459 | 256 | |
| 1950s | 91,385 | 91,109 | 276 | |
| 1960s | 51,600 | 51,341 | 259 | |
| 1970s | 26,911 | 26,663 | 248 | |
| 1980s | 19,818 | 19,641 | 177 | |
| 1990s | 13,202 | 13,155 | 47 | |
| 2000s | 7,622 | 7,614 | 8 | |
| 2010s | 5,911 | 5,894 | 17 | |
| 2020s | 2,687 | 2,640 | 47 | |
Lawrence by State
Birth registrations for Lawrence span all 51 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in New York, California, Pennsylvania. The lowest are in Alaska, Wyoming, Nevada. On average, about 8,722 Lawrences were registered per state.
Lawrence + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Lawrence as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Lawrence
Other first names starting with L with a similar number of bearers.
Lawrence: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lawrence?
We estimate approximately 241,985 people named Lawrence are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 1,416 Americans share this first name.
Is Lawrence a common name?
Lawrence is classified as "Common" and is more popular than 99.8% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 462,765 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Lawrence most popular?
Lawrence reached peak popularity in 1952, when 10,336 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Lawrence is approximately 63 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
Is Lawrence a male name?
Lawrence is predominantly male. 99.5% of people with this name are male. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
How many Lawrence Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Lawrence Smith, Lawrence Johnson, Lawrence Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
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