Declining since 2009.
Popularity of Lorilei since 1954
Babies named Lorilei per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1950s | 42 |
| 1960s | 65 |
| 1970s | 18 |
| 1980s | 13 |
| 1990s | 0 |
| 2000s | 51 |
| 2010s | 62 |
| 2020s | 19 |
Meaning & origin
Lorilei belongs to the family of names inspired by the Lorelei legend, but it has always been a rare choice in the United States. First recorded in 1954, it reached its peak usage in 1968 with 12 baby girls receiving the name. Since 2009, usage has been falling, and in 2025 it was given to fewer than 5 newborns. The name has never appeared among the top 1000 names, and it has no strong regional concentration in any state. Its rarity and melodic sound make it a distinctive variant of Lorelei for parents seeking an unusual name with literary associations.
Lorilei is a variant spelling of Lorelei, itself derived from the German place name of a rock on the Rhine river. The name was popularized by the legend of a siren whose beauty and song lured sailors to their doom, as featured in German Romantic literature and later in the 19th-century poem 'Die Lorelei' by Heinrich Heine. The specific spelling Lorilei emerged in the United States during the mid-20th century, possibly as a fashionable respelling influenced by names like Lori and Lei.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Lori, Lei, Lor
Sibling names for Lorilei
Names that share Lorilei's style, for a brother or sister.
