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$Title{Names for Boys:  L}
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Editors of Consumer Guide
Harder, Kelsey}
$Subject{Names Boys L}
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The Ultimate Baby Name Book


Names for Boys:  L


Labhras (see Lawrence)

Labhruinn (see Lawrence)

Lad                Middle English ladde, "boy."  Like the girl's name Lass,
                   this name is much more popular in England than it is in the
                   United States.
      Variations:  Ladd, Ladde (Scottish), Laddie

Ladd (see Lad)

Ladde, Laddie (see Lad)

Lafayette          French place name.  This name honors the memory of Marie
                   Jean Paul Roch Yves Gilbert Motrier, the Marquis de
                   Lafayette.  At the age of 20, Lafayette was granted the
                   rank of major general in the American Revolutionary Forces.
                   He served throughout the war as a leader of troops and as
                   an aide to General George Washington.  For his services, he
                   was honored as an American hero.  During his tour of the
                   country in 1825, he was met by demonstrations of frenzied
                   enthusiasm without parallel in United States history.  Many
                   counties and towns were named for him.
     Famous name:  Lafayette Fresco "Tommy" Thompson (baseball player)
       Nicknames:  Fay, Lafe
       Variation:  Fayette

Lafe (see Lafayette)

Lafredo (see Alfred, Alfredo)

Laine (see Lane)

Laird (see Lord)

Lal                Hindi from Sanskrit "dear one, beloved."

Lamar              German "land famous."
     Famous name:  LaMarr Hoyt (baseball player)
       Variation:  LaMarr

LaMarr (see Lamar)

Lammond, Lamond (see Lamont)

Lamont             Old French le mont, "the mountain."
        Nickname:  Monty
      Variations:  Lammond, Lamond

Lance              Latin lancea, "light spear"; also, a form of Old German
                   Lancelot.  In the Arthurian romances, Sir Lancelot was a
                   French knight who came to King Arthur's court.  Although he
                   fell in love with the king's wife, Guinevere, he rallied to
                   Arthur's side to battle Mordred.
    Famous names:  Lance Alworth (football player)
                   Lancelot Hogben (mathematician)

Landon (see Langdon)

Lane               English "path" or "roadway."
     Famous name:  Lane Bradford (actor)
  Other spelling:  Laine
       Variation:  Laney

Laney (see Lane)

Langdon            Old English "long hill."
     Famous name:  Langston Hughes (poet)
      Variations:  Landon, Langston

Langston (see Langdon)

Lanty (see Lawrence)

Larkin (see Lawrence)

Larrance (see Lawrence)

Larrie (see Lawrence)

Larry              Form of Lawrence.  This name started out as a nickname
                   for Lawrence, but it became a popular independent name in
                   the 1940s.  Now that most parents are choosing more formal
                   names for boys, this name is returning to its original use
                   as a nickname.
    Famous names:  Larry Bird (basketball player)
                   Larry Hagman (actor)
                   Larry Holmes (boxer)
                   Larry King (commentator)
                   Larry McMurtry (novelist)
                   Larry Rivers (painter)

Lars (see Lawrence)

Larson (see Lawrence)

Lauento (see Lawrence)

Launart (see Leonard)

Lauran (see Lawrence)

Laurance (see Lawrence)

Lauren (see Lawrence)

Laurence (see Lawrence)

Laurens, Laurenz (see Lawrence)

Laurent (see Lawrence)

Laurentius (see Lawrence)

Laurie (see Lawrence)

Lauritz (see Lawrence)

Lavern (see Vernon)

Lavrentij (see Lawrence)

Law (see Lawrence)

Lawrance (see Lawrence)

Lawren (see Lawrence)

Lawrence           Latin Laurentius from laurus, "bay tree."  The ancient
                   Greeks revered the laurel tree and used its leaves for
                   wreaths to celebrate victory.  There were three St.
                   Lawrences.  The first one lived during the third century
                   and suffered a terrible martyrdom by being roasted to
                   death.  Friar Laurence is the friendly priest who marries
                   Romeo and Juliet.  Laurence Sterne is the author of the
                   eighteenth-century novel Tristram Shandy.
    Famous names:  Lawrence Durrell (novelist)
                   Lawrence Ferlinghetti (poet)
                   Laurence Harvey (actor)
                   Sir Laurence Olivier (actor)
 Other spellings:  Larrance, Laurence, Lawrance
       Nicknames:  Larrie, Larry, Laurie, Lawry, Lon, Lonnie, Lonny, Loren,
                   Lorin
      Variations:  Labhras (Irish), Labhruinn (Scottish), Lanty (Irish),
                   Larkin, Lars (Scandinavian), Larson, Lauento, Lauran,
                   Laurance, Lauren, Laurens (Dutch), Laurent (French),
                   Laurentius (Swedish), Laurenz (German), Lauritz (Danish),
                   Lavrentij (Russian), Law, Lawren (Scottish), Laws, Lawson,
                   Lechito, Lenz (Swiss), Loranzio, Lorencho, Lorenjio,
                   Lorenjo, Lorens (Scandinavian), Lorenz (Danish and German),
                   Lorenzino, Lorenzo (Italian and Spanish), Loretto, Lori
                   (Swiss), Lorn, Lorne, Lorry, Lovre (Slavic), Renzo (Italian
                   and Spanish)

Lawry (see Lawrence)

Laws (see Lawrence)

Lawson (see Lawrence)

Le Grand (see LeGrand)

Lea (see Leah, Lee)

Leah               Hebrew "weary"; also, Old English "meadow" or "grove."
                   This feminine name is used occasionally as a boy's name.
     Famous name:  Gary Leah Thomasson (baseball player)
      Variations:  Lea, Lee

Lealand (see Leland)

Leanardo (see Leonard)

Lechito (see Lawrence)

Lee                Old English leah, "meadow"; also, derived from Latin leo,
                   "lion" or Greek leon.  This is one of only a few names that
                   works equally well for boys and girls.  The name is most
                   popular in the southern part of the United States, where it
                   honors both General Robert E. Lee and his father Henry
                   "Light Horse Harry" Lee.
    Famous names:  Lee J. Cobb (actor)
                   Lee Iacocca (industrialist)
                   Lee Marvin (actor)
                   Lee Strasberg (acting teacher)
                   Lee Trevino (golfer)
 Other spellings:  Lea, Leigh
      Variations:  Ashley, Bentley, Bradley, Dudley, Finlay, Leah, LeGrand,
                   Leland, Leo, Leroy, Morley, Wesley

Leegrant (see LeGrand)

Leeland (see Leland)

Lefty (see Dexter)

Legarde (see LeGrand)

LeGrand            Old French le grand, "the great."  This name started out
                   as a royal title, but it has been used as a surname by
                   commoners since the time of the French Revolution.
       Nicknames:  Lee, Grant
      Variations:  Le Grand, Leegrant, Legarde, Legrand, LeGrant

Legrand (see LeGrand)

LeGrant (see LeGrand)

Leigh              Variation of Lee or Wesley.
     Famous name:  Leigh Hunt (essayist)

Leit               Origin uncertain, but possibly German "leader"; or
                   Scottish Leith, "broad, wide."  The name occurs
                   occasionally in the southern part of the United States,
                   which lends credence to its Scottish derivation because
                   many people from Scotland settled in the South.
       Variation:  Lyt

Leland             Old English "meadow land."  This place name has become
                   a given name that symbolizes professionalism, good taste,
                   and wealth.  Until recently, it was more popular in the
                   southern part of the United States than in other parts of
                   the country, but now that it is the name of one of the
                   characters on L.A. Law, Leland may become a more common
                   name in all parts of the country.
     Famous name:  Leland Hayward (movie producer)
        Nickname:  Lee
      Variations:  Leeland, Lealand

Lem (see Lemuel)

Lemmie, Lemmy (see Lemuel)

Lemuel             Possibly Hebrew "dedicated to God."  Although parts of
                   the Book of Proverbs are credited to Lemuel, nothing else
                   is known about him.  The name became popular in England in
                   the seventeenth century under the influence of the Puritans
                   who sometimes named children by opening the Bible and
                   placing a finger on a name.  Jonathan Swift used the name
                   for the central character of Gulliver's Travels.
       Nicknames:  Lem, Lemmie, Lemmy

Len                Form of Leonard.
     Famous name:  Len Deighton (novelist)

Lenard (see Leonard)

Lencha (see Clement)

Lenhart (see Leonard)

Lennie, Lenny (see Leonard)

Lennox             Scottish Leunaichs, "place of elms," from Gaelic
                   leamhanach.
  Other spelling:  Lenox

Lenox (see Lennox)

Lenz (see Lawrence)

Leo                Latin "lion."  Thirteen popes were named Leo, including Leo
                   the Great who prevented the Huns from sacking Rome.  Six
                   emperors of Constantinople were also called Leo.  The
                   continuing popularity of the name probably stems from its
                   association with the lion, long considered the king of
                   beasts.  Russian author Count Leo Tolstoi is certainly
                   considered a lion of the literary world.  His novels
                   include War and Peace and Anna Karenina.
    Famous names:  Leo Buscaglia (author)
                   Leo Szilard (nuclear physicist)
        Nickname:  Lee
      Variations:  Leon (Russian), Leoncio, Leone, Leonelo, Leoniel,
                   Leonildee, Leonires, Leonirez, Leoniso, Leonista,
                   Leonjina, Leonon, Leontin (German), Lionel, Lionello
                   (Italian)

Leon               Form of Leo or Leonard.  Although Leon Blum founded the
                   modern French Socialist Party, parents with an ear for
                   unusual music might like this name, which is shared by two
                   musicians Leon Redbone and Leon Russell.

Leonadez (see Leonard)

Leonadra (see Leonard)

Leonard            Old German "lion hard."  In the sixth century, St. Leonard
                   converted his master, Clovis, a powerful Frank king.
                   This may explain why the name is popular in France, but in
                   Italy, the name is popular in recognition of one of the
                   greatest artists of all time.  Leonardo da Vinci is
                   remembered for his majestic paintings, including the Mona
                   Lisa and The Last Supper, but he is also the epitome of the
                   Renaissance man.  He was not only a painter, but also a
                   sculptor, an architect, and an engineer.  His sketches and
                   engineering plans brought him renown in his own time, and
                   500 years after his death, his models for airplanes and
                   designs for engines are still being studied.
    Famous names:  Leonard Bernstein (composer and conductor)
                   Leonard Lyons (columnist)
  Other spelling:  Lenard
       Nicknames:  Len, Lennie, Lenny, Leo
      Variations:  Launart, Leonardo, Lenhart, Leonadez, Leonadra, Leonardidi,
                   Leonardo (Italian and Spanish), Leonardus, Leonarel,
                   Leonerd, Leonhard (German), Leonid (Russian), Lernado,
                   Lienard (French), Lionardo (Italian and Spanish), Lowenhard

Leonardidi (see Leonard)

Leonardo (see Leonard)

Leonardus (see Leonard)

Leonarel (see Leonard)

Leoncio (see Leo)

Leone (see Leo)

Leonelo (see Leo)

Leonerd (see Leonard)

Leonhard (see Leonard)

Leonid             Russian form of Leonard.
     Famous name:  Leonid Brezhnev (statesman)

Leoniel (see Leo)

Leonildee (see Leo)

Leonires, Leonirez (see Leo)

Leoniso (see Leo)

Leonista (see Leo)

Leonjina (see Leo)

Leonon (see Leo)

Leontin (see Leo)

Lernado (see Leonard)

LeRoi (see Leroy)

Leroy              Old French le roi, "the king."
     Famous name:  LeRoi Jones (poet)
       Nicknames:  Lee, Roy
      Variations:  Elroy, LeRoi, LeRoy

LeRoy (see Leroy)

Les (see Leslie, Lester)

Lesley, Lesly (see Leslie)

Leslie             Scottish clan name of uncertain origin that can be traced
                   to Latin laetitia, "joy"; possible meanings include "from
                   the gray fortress" and "low-lying meadow."  This
                   once-popular boy's name is now used primarily for girls.
    Famous names:  Leslie Fiedler (literary critic)
                   Leslie Howard (actor)
                   Leslie Nielsen (actor)
                   Sir Leslie Stephen (author)
 Other spellings:  Lesley, Lesly
       Nicknames:  Les, Lessie

Lessie (see Leslie)

Lester             Old English form of Leicester, a river name of uncertain
                   meaning but cester is from Latin castra, "city."  This name
                   has been used in England since Roman days.  In the United
                   States, it is popular in the South.  William Faulkner used
                   the name for a farm boy in The Sound and the Fury.
     Famous name:  Lester B. Pearson (prime minister of Canada)
        Nickname:  Les

Levi               Hebrew "jointed in harmony."  In the Old Testament, Levi is
                   a son of Jacob and Leah.  Levi Eshkol was the prime
                   minister of Israel from 1963 to 1969 and led the Six-Day
                   War.  But few parents choose a name that is synonymous with
                   blue denim pants.
  Other spelling:  Levy
      Variation:   Levon

Levon (see Levi)

Levy (see Levi)

Lew (see Llewellyn, Louis)

Lewelyn (see Llewellyn)

Lewie (see Louis)

Lewis              Variation of Louis.  Lewis Carroll is remembered for his
                   books Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking-glass.
                   General Lew Wallace wrote Ben Hur in 1880.
     Famous name:  Lewis Powell (U.S. Supreme Court justice)

Licho (see Louis)

Lico (see Frederick)

Lienard (see Leonard)

Lile (see Lyle)

Lilo (see Cyril)

Lin (see Lincoln, Lynn)

Lincoln            Place name Lindocolonia from Welsh "lake" and Latin
                   "colony."  Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the
                   United States.
    Famous names:  Lincoln Ellsworth (polar explorer)
                   Lincoln Steffens (journalist)
       Nicknames:  Lin, Link

Linden (see Lyndon)

Lindon (see Lyndon)

Link (see Lincoln)

Linn (see Franklin, Lynn)

Linus              Latin linum, "flax" or "having flaxen hair."  Given the
                   enduring popularity of cartoonist Charles Schultz, it's
                   surprising that more parents don't name their sons after
                   Linus, the beleaguered brother of the tyrant Lucy in the
                   popular comic strip Peanuts.
     Famous name:  Linus Pauling (chemist)

Lionardo (see Leonard)

Lionel             French form of Leo.
    Famous names:  Lionel Barrymore (actor)
                   Lionel Richie (musician)
                   Lionel Trilling (literary critic)

Lionello (see Leo)

Lisle (see Lyle)

Lito (see Angelo, Charles)

Llewellyn          Welsh "lion" or "lightning."  Llewellyn I and Llewellyn II
                   ruled Wales in the thirteenth century.  The English royal
                   title Prince of Wales originated with them.  Llywelyn ab
                   Gruffydd supported Simon de Monfort against Henry III of
                   England and was defeated in 1265.  When he refused to pay
                   homage to Edward I, the English captured Wales and killed
                   Llywelyn.  The Welsh have kept the name alive as a
                   statement of their independent spirit.
     Famous name:  Llewellyn Lloyd (author)
        Nickname:  Lew
      Variations:  Lewelyn, Llewelyn

Llewelyn (see Llewellyn)

Llillo (see Emil)

Lloyd              Welsh "gray" or "dark."  This name is popular in both the
                   United States and England.  David Lloyd George, who is
                   ususally referred to as Lloyd George, was prime minister of
                   Great Britain during World War I.
     Famous name:  Lloyd Bridges (actor)
       Variation:  Loyd

Lodewick (see Louis)

Lodewijk (see Louis)

Lodovico (see Louis)

Lon                Form of Alphonse, Lawrence, or Mahlon.
     Famous name:  Lon Chaney (actor)

Lonnie, Lonny (see Alphonse, Lawrence, Mahlon)

Loral              Masculine form of German Lorelei; also, Old English lera,
                   "to teach."
     Famous name:  Loral Wyatt (football player)

Loranzio (see Lawrence)

Lord (see Gaylord, Laird)

Loren (see Lawrence, Lorin)

Lorencho (see Lawrence)

Lorenjio (see Lawrence)

Lorenjo (see Lawrence)

Lorens, Lorenz (see Lawrence)

Lorenzino (see Lawrence)

Lorenzo            Spanish form of Lawrence.  In the fifteenth century,
                   Lorenzo de' Medici was the ruler of Florence and a patron
                   of the arts.
     Famous name:  Lorenzo Lamas (actor)

Loretto (see Lawrence)

Lori (see Lawrence)

Lorin              Form of Lawrence.
    Famous names:  Lorne Greene (actor)
                   Lorin Hollander (pianist)
                   Lorin Maazel (conductor)
      Variations:  Loren, Lorn, Lorne

Lorn, Lorne (see Lawrence, Lorin)

Lorry (see Lawrence)

Lotario (see Luther)

Lothaire (see Luther)

Lothar (see Luther)

Lothario (see Luther)

Lotze (see Louis)

Lou                Form of Louis.
    Famous names:  Lou Brock (baseball player)
                   Lou Costello (comedian)
                   Lou Gehrig (baseball player)
                   Lou Rawls (singer)

Louie (see Louis)

Louis              Old German chlodovech, "the sound of battle"; also,
                   French from Latin Ludovicus.  Many prominent Frenchmen,
                   including eighteen kings, share this name.  Louis I was a
                   ninth-century Holy Roman Emperor who divided his kingdom
                   and paved the way for the nation of France.  Louis IX was
                   canonized as a saint for his efforts on behalf of the
                   Crusades.  Louis XV, the Sun King, who reigned from 1643 to
                   1715, built the palace of Versailles.  Louis XVI, who
                   inherited the financial problems caused by the wars his
                   father had fought, died on the guillotine during the French
                   Revolution.  The seventeenth-century explorer Louis Joliet
                   explored the Mississippi River with Father Marquette.
                   French chemist Louis Pasteur is noted for his many
                   contributions to science and medicine, including the
                   life-saving theory that diseases are spread by bacteria.
                   Louis Braille invented an alphabet for blind readers like
                   himself.  Given the strong resurgence of French names, this
                   name could prove to be a winner.
    Famous names:  Louis Armstrong (musician)
                   Louis Brandeis (U.S. Supreme Court justice)
                   Louis Leakey (paleontologist)
                   Louis Skidmore (architect)
                   Louis Sullivan (architect)
                   Louis Comfort Tiffany (glass manufacturer)
  Other spelling:  Lewis
       Nicknames:  Lew, Lewie, Lou, Louie
      Variations:  Alois, Aloisius (Latin), Aloys (French), Clodoveo
                   (Spanish), Clovis (French), Licho, Lodewick (Dutch),
                   Lodewijk (Dutch), Lodovico (Italian), Lotze (German),
                   Louiso, Loys, Lucho, Ludi, Ludovic (German), Ludvig
                   (Swedish), Ludvik (Swedish), Ludwig (German and Swedish),
                   Lugaidh (Irish), Luigi (Italian), Luis (Spanish), Luisano,
                   Luisiana, Luisiro, Luiz (Portuguese), Luiza, Luthais
                   (Scottish)

Louiso (see Louis)

Lovell (see Lowell)

Lovre (see Lawrence)

Lowe (see Lowell)

Lowell             Old English "little loved one" or "little hill."
     Famous name:  Lowell Thomas (commentator)
      Variations:  Lovell, Lowe

Lowenhard (see Leonard)

Lowther (see Luther)

Loyd (see Lloyd)

Loys (see Louis)

Lucas (see Lucius)

Lucho (see Louis)

Lucian             Form of Latin Lucianus, "bringing light."  Lucian was a
                   second-century satirist, and St. Lucian was a third-century
                   martyr.  Opera fans might want to choose this name for
                   their sons to honor tenor Luciano Pavarotti.
       Variation:  Luciano (Italian)

Luciano (see Lucian)

Lucio (see Lucius)

Lucius             Latin lux, "light."  Lucy and Lucia, the feminine forms of
                   this name, are more common than this boy's name.
    Famous names:  Lucius Benjamin Appling (baseball player)
                   Lucius Seneca (Roman philosopher)
        Nickname:  Luke
      Variations:  Lucas, Lucio, Lukas, Luscious

Ludi (see Louis)

Ludovic (see Louis)

Ludvig (see Louis)

Ludvik (see Louis)

Ludwig             German form of Louis.  You have to wonder whether Wolfgang
                   and Ludwig were ever popular outside of Austria and
                   Germany, despite the admiration for two of the world's
                   greatest composers, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig von
                   Beethoven.
    Famous names:  Ludwig Erhard (chancellor of West Germany)
                   Ludwig Wittgenstein (philosopher)

Lugaidh (see Louis)

Luigi              Italian form of Louis.
     Famous name:  Luigi Pirandello (playwright)

Luis               Spanish form of Louis.
    Famous names:  Luis Alvarez (physicist)
                   Luis Bunuel (movie director)

Luisano (see Louis)

Luisiana (see Louis)

Luisiro (see Louis)

Luiz (see Louis)

Luiza (see Louis)

Lukas (see Lucius)

Luke               Form of Lucius or Luther; also, Greek "a person from
                   Lucania."  The popularity of Luke as an independent name
                   is based almost entirely on St. Luke, who wrote the third
                   Gospel.  He is the patron saint of physicians and painters.
     Famous name:  Luscious Luke Easter (baseball player)

Luscious (see Lucius)

Lutalo             Luganda (Uganda) "warrior."

Luteris (see Luther)

Lutero (see Luther)

Luthais (see Louis)

Luther             Old German "famous warrior."  This was the name of several
                   Holy Roman emperors, but parents who choose this name
                   probably wish to honor Martin Luther, the originator of
                   Protestantism.
    Famous names:  Luther Burbank (horticulturist)
                   Luther Vandross (singer)
      Variations:  Clotario, Clothaire, Clother, Lotario (Italian), Lothaire
                   (French), Lothar, Lothario, Lowther, Luke, Luteris, Lutero
                   (Spanish), Lutherio, Lutherus, Luto

Lutherio (see Luther)

Lutherus (see Luther)

Luto (see Luther)

Ly (see Lyle)

Lyel, Lyell (see Lyle)

Lyle               French lisle, "the island."
     Famous name:  Lyle Alzado (football player)
 Other spellings:  Lile, Lyel, Lyell
      Variations:  Delisle, Lisle, Ly, Lisle

Lyman              Old English "valley man."  Lyman Beecher was one of the
                   leading proponents of the abolition of slavery and
                   presumably a strong influence on his daughter, Harriet
                   Beecher Stowe, who wrote Uncle Tom's Cabin.  Lyman Frank
                   Baum created Dorothy, her mismatched crew, and the Yellow
                   Brick Road in his book Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
     Famous name:  Lyman Hall (signer of the Declaration of Independence)

Lyn (see Lyndon, Lynn)

Lyndon             Old English "hill of linden trees."  Lyndon Baines
                   Johnson was the 36th U.S. president.
 Other spellings:  Linden, Lindon
       Nicknames:  Lyn, Lynne

Lynn               Old English hlynn, "stream."  This name has little history
                   and was considered a masculine name in England until the
                   twentieth century.  In the United States, Lynn is often a
                   girl's name.
     Famous name:  Lynn Swann (football player)
 Other spellings:  Lin, Linn, Lyn, Lynne

Lynne (see Lyndon, Lynn)

Lyt (see Leit)