Laura

Laura comes from the Late Latin male name Laurus, which means "laurel," referring to the crown of laurel you always seen on the heads of important Romans. Laura is a saint name; Saint Laura was a Spanish nun who met a grisly death in a vat of molten lead. The Italian poet Petrarch wrote love poetry to "Laura" in the 1300's leading to a certain amount of popularity for the name in Italy. The name began to be popular in English-speaking countries in the 19th century. Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote books that most people are aware of if not familiar with, and many women (and maybe some men, who knows?)are fans of Laura Ashley. Current well-known Laura's include Laura Bush and "Dr. Laura." Laura has been hugely popular in the U.S. in the past century, only falling out of the top 1000 since the year 2000. A note: the pronunciation of Laura can vary depending on who you are and where you are. Some people rhyme it, or almost, with "Norah," while others say the "au" with a sound closer to "ah." Some have made their pronunciation intent more obvious by simply spelling it "Lora," though this can also be a name in its own right.