Lorraine

Where Lorraine comes from

Inherited from Middle English Loreyne, from Old French Loherraine, from loherenc (“Lotharingian”); compare Early Medieval Latin Lotharingia (ultimately named for Lothair II, who ruled it); compare Lotharingia, German Lothringen.
— Wiktionary's entry for Lorraine
  • 2 syllables
  • Vowel-ended
Along the way
  1. 1882
    First appearance
    #813 among girls, 6 babies — the first year at least five got the name.
  2. 1928
    Peak, #39
    5,982 babies named Lorraine — more than any year before or since.
  3. 1930
    Lorraine Hansberry born
    African-American playwright and author
  4. 1937
    The fade
    The first year with half the peak's births — down to #83.
  5. 1954
    Lorraine Bracco born
    American actress
In the dictionary
  • A female given name transferred from the place name, associated with Laura by folk etymology.
Namesakes
  • Lorraine Bracco · American actress, born 1954
  • Lorraine Hansberry · African-American playwright and author, 1930–1965
  • Lorraine Toussaint · Trinidadian actress, born 1960
  • Lorraine Gary · American actress, born 1937
  • Lorraine Crapp · Australian swimmer, Olympic gold medallist, former world record-holder, born 1938

Sources: the origin note and dictionary entry are quoted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0); the namesakes come from Wikidata (CC0); the milestones are worked out from the SSA record.