Laverne Unisex

Popularity: #939 · Trend: ↗ Rising

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: luh-VURN //ləˈvɜrn//

Origin: French; Latin

Meaning: French: the place of the alder trees; Latin: born in spring

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Laverne has its roots in the Latin word "verna," meaning "native" or "of the home." This term evolved through the Vulgar Latin form "vernus," which translates to "spring-like" or "youthful." The name entered the English language via the Old French "Laverne," which was derived from the Latin, and it became more widely recognized in the 19th century. The name is often associated with the French word "verne," meaning "alder tree," which has further contributed to its botanical connotations.

Historically, the name Laverne gained prominence in the early 20th century, particularly in the United States. One notable milestone was the use of the name in the 1940s, when it was popularized by the character Laverne DeFazio from the television show "Laverne & Shirley," which aired in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

This character, portrayed by Penny Marshall, became a cultural icon, representing a strong, independent woman. Additionally, the name has been borne by various notable figures, including Laverne Cox, an actress and LGBTQ+ advocate, who has contributed to the name's recognition in contemporary culture.

Culturally, Laverne has been associated with themes of vitality and renewal, reflecting its etymological ties to spring and youth. The name has also been embraced in various artistic expressions, including literature and music, often symbolizing a sense of home and belonging.

Diminutive forms such as Vernie have occasionally been used, though they are less common. Overall, Laverne carries a blend of historical significance and cultural resonance that has allowed it to endure through the centuries.

Famous people named Laverne

In this section, you will find notable people named Laverne. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Laverne who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Laverne who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Laverne Cox is an actress and LGBTQ+ advocate best known for Orange Is the New Black, Disclosure, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Laverne Baker is a singer best known for her hits such as Jim Dandy and Tweedle Dee.

Fictional characters named Laverne

The following list of fictional characters named Laverne is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Laverne DeFazio is a fictional character from the TV show Laverne & Shirley. She is one half of the titular duo, known for her quirky personality and friendship with Shirley.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Laverne, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

LavinaLydiaLorettaLilaLanaLeah

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Laverne. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

LavinaLanaLilaLavernaLavelleLydiaLanae

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Laverne was first seen in the United States in 1885.

Laverne has ranked as high as #250 nationally, which occurred in 1924, and has been most popular in Illinois, Wisconsin, Texas, Pennsylvania, and Ohio.

In the past 5 years the name Laverne has been trending up compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Laverne is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Laverne was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Laverne.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 9 0 9
2024 9 9 0
2023 13 13 0
2022 5 5 0
2021 6 6 0
2020 9 9 0
2019 7 7 0
2016 6 6 0
2015 10 10 0
2014 9 9 0
2013 5 5 0
2012 5 5 0
2010 8 8 0
2009 5 5 0
2008 6 6 0
2006 5 5 0
2005 9 9 0
2004 7 7 0
2003 10 5 5
2002 8 8 0
2001 5 5 0
2000 9 9 0
1999 11 11 0
1998 8 0 8
1997 13 8 5
1996 12 7 5
1995 13 7 6
1994 23 10 13
1993 18 5 13
1992 23 8 15
1991 21 5 16
1990 28 10 18
1989 27 8 19
1988 27 8 19
1987 23 10 13
1986 23 8 15
1985 35 14 21
1984 35 9 26
1983 36 9 27
1982 55 10 45
1981 49 13 36
1980 53 22 31
1979 58 16 42
1978 70 18 52
1977 101 20 81
1976 112 23 89
1975 97 18 79
1974 116 30 86
1973 126 25 101
1972 142 29 113
1971 179 25 154
1970 201 40 161
1969 209 46 163
1968 263 44 219
1967 259 43 216
1966 332 50 282
1965 341 50 291
1964 390 52 338
1963 469 66 403
1962 471 61 410
1961 521 70 451
1960 577 79 498
1959 609 71 538
1958 586 60 526
1957 686 85 601
1956 679 85 594
1955 754 101 653
1954 618 107 511
1953 647 111 536
1952 694 106 588
1951 745 123 622
1950 723 120 603
1949 717 112 605
1948 809 148 661
1947 780 177 603
1946 779 170 609
1945 757 159 598
1944 709 192 517
1943 748 212 536
1942 808 220 588
1941 806 241 565
1940 810 231 579
1939 814 199 615
1938 924 285 639
1937 997 305 692
1936 987 276 711
1935 1,085 300 785
1934 1,143 323 820
1933 1,161 299 862
1932 1,293 366 927
1931 1,437 395 1,042
1930 1,498 402 1,096
1929 1,562 368 1,194
1928 1,721 428 1,293
1927 1,754 421 1,333
1926 1,726 399 1,327
1925 1,736 401 1,335
1924 1,785 402 1,383
1923 1,720 414 1,306
1922 1,628 414 1,214
1921 1,568 405 1,163
1920 1,469 375 1,094
1919 1,281 337 944
1918 1,308 343 965
1917 1,037 275 762
1916 885 243 642
1915 795 231 564
1914 541 162 379
1913 407 119 288
1912 304 79 225
1911 181 45 136
1910 160 26 134
1909 125 25 100
1908 114 23 91
1907 83 25 58
1906 89 16 73
1905 77 24 53
1904 61 14 47
1903 51 10 41
1902 49 12 37
1901 50 8 42
1900 50 11 39
1899 26 0 26
1898 36 10 26
1897 32 8 24
1896 35 9 26
1895 26 6 20
1894 21 6 15
1893 10 0 10
1892 18 6 12
1891 6 0 6
1890 16 7 9
1889 15 7 8
1888 12 7 5
1886 6 0 6
1885 13 6 7

Top States for Laverne (1925)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
IL 340
20%
WI 217
13%
MO 114
7%
PA 106
6%
TX 102
6%
OH 84
5%
MN 70
4%
CA 64
4%
IA 59
3%
OK 48
3%
MI 46
3%
NY 44
3%
KY 37
2%
NE 33
2%
KS 33
2%
ND 33
2%
IN 31
2%
AR 25
1%
TN 25
1%
GA 24
1%
MS 22
1%
SD 22
1%
LA 19
1%
OR 15
1%
WA 12
1%
AL 10
1%
FL 9
1%
NJ 8
0%
VA 7
0%
CO 6
0%
WV 6
0%
UT 5
0%
MD 5
0%
ID 5
0%