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Home › Baby Names Directory › Lorna

Lorna

♀ Girl

Pronounced LOR-nah /ˈlɔːr.nə/High

Meaning: Invented by author R.D. Blackmore for his 1869 novel Lorna Doone, likely derived from Lorne, a district in Argyll, Scotland, of uncertain Gaelic originHigh

In 30 seconds: A romantic literary name invented by R.D. Blackmore for his beloved 1869 novel Lorna Doone. Based on the Scottish place Lorne, it became a real name through the power of a great story.
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Origin HighScottish, English
MeaningInvented by author R.D. Blackmore for his 1869 novel Lorna Doone, likely derived from Lorne, a district in Argyll, Scotland, of uncertain Gaelic origin
U.S. rank (2025)#2980 ↗ Rising
2025 U.S. births56 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year1957
Total births (all-time)≈ 28,531

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 195718852025

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

Lorna was coined by Richard Doddridge Blackmore for the heroine of his novel Lorna Doone: A Romance of Exmoor (1869). Blackmore based the name on Lorne, a historic region in Argyll, Scotland — a Gaelic place name of disputed meaning, possibly from the personal name Loarn. Before the novel, Lorna does not appear as a given name in historical records, making it one of the clearest examples of literary name creation.

Lorna Doone was enormously popular in the Victorian and Edwardian eras, and the name Lorna spread rapidly through Britain and the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It reached peak popularity in the 1940s and 1950s. Today Lorna has the quality of a refined vintage name ripe for revival, retaining its romantic, Scottish-literary atmosphere.

Did you know? Lorna Doone is also the name of a famous shortbread cookie, launched by Nabisco in 1912 and named after the novel's heroine — meaning this literary name has one of the most unusual commercial legacies of any given name in history.
Overall data confidence 90%
Blackmore, R.D. — Lorna Doone (1869) — Original literary source of the nameBehind the Name — Lorna — History of Lorna as a literary coinage and given name

Variations

LorneLornahLorena

Nicknames

LorLori

Famous Bearers

  • ★Lorna Luft (1952–present)
    American singer and actress, daughter of Judy Garland and half-sister of Liza Minnelli.

If you like Lorna…

Lorena— shares the Lor- root and vintage romantic feel
Nora— same vintage two-syllable elegance and quiet strength
Flora— same era vintage name with similar gentle romance
Clara
Willa

Explore names like Lorna

By themeclassicvintagescottishliteraryvictorian

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Lorna mean?

Lorna was invented by author R.D. Blackmore based on Lorne, a Scottish district, for his 1869 novel Lorna Doone. It has no independent meaning beyond its Scottish geographical source.

How do you pronounce Lorna?

Lorna is pronounced LOR-nah /ˈlɔːr.nə/ — two syllables with stress on the first.

Is Lorna a boy or girl name?

Lorna is used exclusively as a girl's name.

How popular is Lorna?

Lorna peaked in the U.S. in the 1940s–50s and is now rare, with vintage appeal making it a candidate for revival among classic-name enthusiasts.

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