Lorelei

Girl name

Lorelei has been given to 18,189 babies in the U.S. since 1916. It peaked in 2016 and currently ranks #441 for girls (2025).

Meaning & origin

Borrowed from German Lorelei (“murmuring rock or lurking rock”), but not used as a given name in Germany. The Lorelei (or Lorelei, Loreleï, Lore Lay, Lore-Ley, Lurley, Lurelei, Lurlei) is an infamous maritime disaster site because of the Rhine's current and the surrounding terrain. The shipwrecks have been subject to mythological explanation attempts since around 900 AD.

Origin: German

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Popularity over time births per year, 1880–2025

Hover or tap the chart to read any year.

Total babies

18,189

Peak year

2016 (716 babies)

Rank in 2025

#441 for girls

First recorded

1916

10-year trend

▼ -1%

Gender split

All girls

Names with a similar vibe

Same primary gender, peaked around the same years, and roughly as common as Lorelei.

18,200 babies since 1950

18,334 babies since 1986

18,459 babies since 2002

18,565 babies since 1935

18,643 babies since 1994

17,709 babies since 1939

17,614 babies since 1971

18,766 babies since 1880

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