Skip to content
Name Lineage

    The first name Lafayette

    A boy’s name meaning “the little beech tree”.

    Pronounced /ˌlæfiːˈɛt/ 3 syllables Male Also a surname

    Meaning and origin

    Lafayette means “the little beech tree”.

    French surname from Occitan, "the little beech tree".

    More names that mean forest.

    From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

    Popularity in the United States

    Babies named Lafayette at birth, 1880–2025

    In 2025, 7 boys born in the United States were named Lafayette, the 10,262nd most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1921, when 86 were.

    04590 188018851890189519001905191019151920192519301935194019451950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025
    4,882
    babies named Lafayette since 1880
    #10,262
    rank in 2025
    1921
    peak year

    US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.

    Nicknames and spellings

    Nicknames for Lafayette

    • Lafe
    • Fayette

    Other spellings and forms

    • Fayette
    • Defayette
    • Delafayette

    Famous people named Lafayette

    8 on Wikidata, most written-about first

    • Lafayette McLaws
      Confederate Army general (1821-1897)
    • Lafayette Leake
      American musician (1919–1990)
    • Lafayette S. Foster
      American politician (1806-1880)
    • Lafayette Young
      American politician (1848-1926)
    • Lafayette Bunnell
      American physician, explorer, and writer (1824-1903)
    • Lafayette G. Pool
      American tank-crew and tank-platoon commander in World War II, 1919–1991
    • L. Ron Hubbard
      American writer and Scientology founder (1911–1986)
    • H. L. Hunt
      American businessman (1889–1974)

    Questions

    What does the name Lafayette mean?
    Lafayette means “the little beech tree”.
    What are nicknames for Lafayette?
    Common nicknames for Lafayette include Lafe, Fayette.
    Is Lafayette a boy's or a girl's name?
    Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 4,882 US babies named Lafayette since 1880 were boys.
    When was Lafayette most popular?
    1921 in the United States, when 86 babies were named Lafayette, its highest rank at 701st.
    How do you pronounce Lafayette?
    Lafayette is /ˌlæfiːˈɛt/, 3 syllables.
    What are other spellings of Lafayette?
    Fayette, Defayette and Delafayette.
    Is Lafayette also a surname?
    Yes. Lafayette is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.