Loura
Feminine · “laurel”
Loura is Laura in an older-looking spelling, with an ou that gives it a soft, round sound. It is two syllables, gentle and classic.
How old is the name Loura?
Loura first appears in US birth records in 1917 — 108 years ago. The typical Loura alive today was born around 1963, making them about 62 years old. About 400 people named Loura are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Loura most popular?
Loura peaked in 1963, reaching #2172 nationally. See the whole 1963 chart.
Lists built from the same records:
Where it comes from
From laurus to Loura
The story of Loura
Laura came into European naming through Petrarch's poems and into American use as a steady, well-liked name. Families wrote it in several ways, and Loura puts ou where Laura has au, which may say LOR-uh or LOO-ruh depending on the reader. No record says why the spelling was chosen or whether a family meant Laura or Lora.
Meaningscholars disagree
laurel, through Laura
Loura is most likely a spelling of Laura, from Latin laurus, the laurel. It may also be a spelling of Lora; the record does not say which.
How the name formed
- laurus
- Laura
- Loura
Related forms: Laura · Laura
Pronouncing Loura
LOR-uh
Most families say it like Laura. Some say LOO-ruh.
Nicknames for Loura
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1917
- Most girls named
- 196330 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #2172reached in 1963
- Change vs 1991
- −37.5%5 in 1997, from 8
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Loura in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Laura in Italian — related form
- Laura in Spanish — related form
Louras among us
people named Loura are estimated to be alive in the US today
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
Questions parents actually ask
Fashion outlook
Loura sits outside the current charts, and that is its own kind of answer: naming cycles can only date the names they carried up. A name this rare has no decade stamped on it — it cannot go out of fashion, because it was never in.
Based on 146 years of naming cycles. How we read them
The trade-off
- It sounds like a classic name with a clear meaning.
- Lou and Laurie give two short forms.
- People will write Laura or Lora.
- The ou will be read two ways.
Nobody names a baby alone.
Put Loura to the vote.
Add it to a family vote or a couple’s swipe deck — the other person gets one card, a simple answer and room to say why. No app, no account for them.
Only the people you invite can see your list.
Already decided on Loura? Hide it among decoys and let them guess.
What they receive
Someone added a name to your list
Loura
Feminine
Frequently asked
- How many Louras are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 400 people named Loura are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Loura in 2025?
- Loura is rarely given in the US today — it does not rank in the top 2000 girl names.
- Will my child share the name Loura with classmates?
- Loura will almost certainly be the only one in school.
More L names
The most-given names starting with L, all years combined.
Linda#902 · Lisa#987 · Laura#379 · Lauren#401 · Lillian#57 · Lori#1721 · Louise#514 · Lois#1666
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Loura? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Loura and another name?
See them side by side — full stats, history and a gentle verdict.
Compare side by sideIn a hurry? Just pick a winner — one tap, no sign-up, and you see how everyone else voted.
Weighing a whole shortlist? Add the rest in the builder, or settle it with a bracket.
Cast your vote
Which one would you pick?
Your gut first, the numbers after — the split shows once you pick.
US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
No advertising trackers and no data sellinghow we handle your dataindependent and founder-run, about Name Battle