Loretta

“Variant of Lauretta — laurel (Italian diminutive of Laura)” — Italian, from Latin laurus origin

Girl's name · #606 in the US (2025) · Timeless

Loretta has appeared in US records since 1880 — best rank #62 (1938) · 177,564 babies named Loretta all-time · 1 in 3,300 girls born in 2025.

Around the world: about 1 in 4,500 girls in Scotland (2025) · about 1 in 6,500 girls in England & Wales (2025) · about 1 in 8,600 girls in Canada (2024).

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 31 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Famous Lorettas

Loretta Young — American actress (1913–2000)
Loretta Lynn — American country singer (1932–2022)
Loretta Lynch — American attorney (born 1959)
Loretta Swit — American actress (1937–2025)
Loretta Devine — American actress

In stories & tradition

Loretta Brown — Family Guy · The Cleveland Show
Loretta Jones — Hollyoaks
Loretta Kugret — I'm in Love with the Villainess

What Lorettas become

Among 175 notable people named Loretta:

Entertainers appear 1.84× more often than among typical names — e.g. Loretta Young, American actress (1913–2000).

Browse more girl names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.