Loretta
Girl name · #606 in 2025 · Distinctive
In 2025, 485 baby girls were named Loretta, placing it at #606 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #1154, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 3,711 girls born in 2025 was named Loretta.
Babies named Loretta per year. Source: SSA.
The 145-year story
Loretta first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 41 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1938, when 3,913 girls were named Loretta — good for #62 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Loretta against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Loretta in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Loretta is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "distinctive". That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Loretta is most common
Geography matters for names, and Loretta is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Loretta is most common in WI (2 per 1,000), IA (1.5 per 1,000), MN (1.4 per 1,000), IN (0.8 per 1,000), MO (0.7 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.4 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Loretta is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Loretta
Statistically, parents drawn to Loretta tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Linda, Ramona, Barbara, Gloria, and Martha.
LindaRamonaBarbaraGloriaMarthaLorraineSylviaRita
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Loretta | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 485 | #606 |
| 2024 | 423 | #677 |
| 2023 | 371 | #757 |
| 2022 | 346 | #810 |
| 2021 | 300 | #901 |
| 2020 | 272 | #942 |
| 2019 | 252 | #1020 |
| 2018 | 232 | #1085 |
| 2017 | 229 | #1102 |
| 2016 | 240 | #1082 |
| 2015 | 219 | #1154 |
| 2014 | 179 | #1321 |
| 2013 | 121 | #1713 |
| 2012 | 124 | #1690 |
| 2011 | 111 | #1817 |
| 2010 | 97 | #2043 |
| 2009 | 84 | #2316 |
| 2008 | 112 | #1890 |
| 2007 | 105 | #1957 |
| 2006 | 113 | #1809 |
| 2005 | 103 | #1878 |
| 2004 | 90 | #2030 |
| 2003 | 80 | #2167 |
| 2002 | 76 | #2178 |
| 2001 | 77 | #2126 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Loretta a popular girl name?
Loretta ranked #606 among girls in 2025 with 485 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1154.
When was the name Loretta most popular?
Loretta peaked in 1938, when 3,913 American girls received the name (ranked #62 that year). Since 1938 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Loretta?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 3,711 newborn American girls was named Loretta. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.