Loretta
An Italian diminutive of Laura, reinforced by the Loreto shrine.
Popularity, 1880–2025
Loretta appears in the national records from the very first year, 1880. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American girls in every year from 1931 to 1944. Its biggest year was 1938, when 3,913 newborn girls received the name, ranking it No. 62 nationally. In 2025 it ranked No. 606 for girls. All told, 178,066 Americans have been given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other spellings on record: Lorretta (2,708), Lorita (1,748), Loreta (1,225) (total births since 1880)
Other names that share a story: Laura
Explore Loretta interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 1,036 | No. 164 |
| 1890s | 3,382 | No. 118 |
| 1900s | 5,151 | No. 114 |
| 1910s | 14,570 | No. 113 |
| 1920s | 21,071 | No. 120 |
| 1930s | 31,537 | No. 62 |
| 1940s | 30,121 | No. 69 |
| 1950s | 30,394 | No. 120 |
| 1960s | 22,070 | No. 138 |
| 1970s | 8,640 | No. 228 |
| 1980s | 3,279 | No. 439 |
| 1990s | 1,380 | No. 921 |
| 2000s | 932 | No. 1809 |
| 2010s | 1,804 | No. 1020 |
| 2020s | 2,197 | No. 606 |
Births and rank shown for girls, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.
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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.