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Loring

♂ Boy

Pronounced LOR-ing /ˈlɔːr.ɪŋ/High

Meaning: Loring is an English surname turned given name, generally traced to a medieval byname for someone from Lorraine in France (the Lotharingian region), carried to England after the Norman period. As a first name it was a family-honoring, New-England-flavored choice.Low

In 30 seconds: Loring is an English surname name, from a byname for a person from Lorraine (said 'LOR-ing'). It was a rare, patrician-sounding boys' choice.

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Origin LowEnglish, French

MeaningLoring is an English surname turned given name, generally traced to a medieval byname for someone from Lorraine in France (the Lotharingian region), carried to England after the Norman period. As a first name it was a family-honoring, New-England-flavored choice.

U.S. rank (1990)#6884 ↗ Rising

1990 U.S. births7 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year1922

Total births (all-time)≈ 1,285

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Loring descends from a surname rooted in a byname for the Lorraine region of France, brought into English use and later treated, like Sterling or Harding, as a dignified given name. American families, especially in New England, kept it alive by naming sons after forebears.

It was never common as a first name — a scattered few dozen boys a year at its faint peak in the nineteen-twenties — and it reads as reserved and old-money. It sits with the pool of surname names that could plausibly revive, though it has not yet done so in real numbers.

Did you know? Loring has a strong New England ring — it names streets, halls and an old Massachusetts air base — reflecting its life there as a family surname passed down as a first name.

Overall data confidence 55%

References — Loring — English surname; byname for person from Lorraine

Variations

LorringLorin

Nicknames

LorRing

Famous Bearers

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If you like Loring…

Sterling— a fellow patrician English surname given name

Harding— another dignified -ing surname used as a first name

Everett— shares the reserved New England vintage feel

Hollis— a like understated old-money surname name

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Loring mean?

Loring is an English surname name from a byname for a person from Lorraine, France.

How do you pronounce Loring?

It's said LOR-ing /ˈlɔːr.ɪŋ/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Loring a boy or girl name?

Loring is used as a boy's name.

How popular is Loring?

Loring has always been rare in the U.S., a patrician surname name most seen in the early twentieth century.