Skip to content
Name Lineage

    The first name Lorelei

    A girl’s name from German meaning “murmuring rock”, “lurking rock”.

    3 syllables Female

    Meaning and origin

    German origin

    Lorelei means “murmuring rock”, “lurking rock” in German.

    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.

    More names that mean mountain.

    From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

    Popularity

    Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025

    In 2025, 28 girls were named Lorelei, making it the 1,166th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2019, with 46 births (#806).

    02550 1996200020052010201520202025
    644
    babies named Lorelei, 1996–2025
    #1,166
    rank in 2025
    2019
    peak year

    Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Lorelei with other names.

    Popularity in the United States

    Babies named Lorelei at birth, 1880–2025

    In 2025, 699 girls born in the United States were named Lorelei, the 441st most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 2016, when 716 were.

    0400800 188018851890189519001905191019151920192519301935194019451950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025
    18,189
    babies named Lorelei since 1880
    #441
    rank in 2025
    2016
    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.

    Famous people named Lorelei

    2 on Wikidata, most written-about first

    • Lorelei Lee
      American pornographic film actor and writer (born 1981/1982)
    • Lorelei Linklater
      American actress, born 1994

    More German girls’ names

    All 62 names of German origin

    Questions

    What does the name Lorelei mean?
    Lorelei means “murmuring rock”, “lurking rock” in German.
    What is the origin of the name Lorelei?
    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…
    How popular is the name Lorelei?
    In 2025, 28 girls born in England and Wales were named Lorelei, ranking 1,166th. Its peak was 2019, with 46 births.
    Is Lorelei a boy's or a girl's name?
    Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 18,189 US babies named Lorelei since 1880 were girls.
    When was Lorelei most popular?
    2016 in the United States, when 716 babies were named Lorelei, its highest rank at 451st.