Laura is a traditionally feminine given name in

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...

and

the Americas The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. Along with th ...

, of

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

origin, whose meaning ("

bay laurel ''Laurus nobilis'' is an aromatic evergreen tree or large shrub with green, glabrous (smooth) leaves. It is in the flowering plant family Lauraceae. It is native to the Mediterranean region and is used as bay leaf for seasoning in cookin ...

") is a metonym for a victor, and an early

hypocorism A hypocorism ( or ; from Ancient Greek: (), from (), 'to call by pet names', sometimes also ''hypocoristic'') or pet name is a name used to show affection for a person. It may be a diminutive form of a person's name, such as ''Izzy'' for I ...

from

Laurel Laurel may refer to: Plants * Lauraceae, the laurel family * Laurel (plant), including a list of trees and plants known as laurel People * Laurel (given name), people with the given name * Laurel (surname), people with the surname * Laurel (mus ...

and

Lauren Lauren may be a given name or surname.The name's meaning may be "laurel tree", "sweet of honor", or "wisdom". It is derived from the French name Laurence, a feminine version of Laurent, which is in turn derived from the Roman surname Laurentius. ...

Origin and usage

The name Laura is the feminized form of ''laurus'', Latin for "

plant", which in the Greco-Roman era was used as a symbol of victory, honor or fame. The name represents the embodiment of victory and strength. The name ''

Daphne Daphne (; ; el, Δάφνη, , ), a minor figure in Greek mythology, is a naiad, a variety of female nymph associated with fountains, wells, springs, streams, brooks and other bodies of freshwater. There are several versions of the myth in whi ...

'', derived from

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic p ...

, carries the same meaning.

Popularity

In British North America, it is very likely that the name Laura was extremely popular for female newborns until its rapid decline starting in the late 19th century. The name Laura was among the top 40 names for female newborns for much of the late 19th century in the United States until it dropped off the chart in 1899 at #43. The overall highest known rank for the name Laura in the 19th century was #17 in the years 1880 and 1882 with the male name Samuel. Running up, the name Laura in the 19th century was #19 in 1881 and 1883 with the male name

Louis Louis may refer to: * Louis (coin) * Louis (given name), origin and several individuals with this name * Louis (surname) * Louis (singer), Serbian singer * HMS ''Louis'', two ships of the Royal Navy See also Derived or associated terms * Lewis ( ...

. The name Laura was among the top 50 names for female newborns for much of the early 20th century in the United States, but dropped to the top 100–120 by the 1930s–40s, then rebounded to the top 20 in 1984–1986, and has since steadily decreased in popularity. The overall highest known rank for the name Laura in the 20th century is #10 in 1969 with the male name

Richard Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from Old Frankish and is a compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' and ''*hardu-'' 'strong, brave, hardy', and it therefore means 'stro ...

. The latest highest known rank for the name Laura in the 20th century is #14 in 1985 with the male name

Jason Jason ( ; ) was an ancient Greek mythological hero and leader of the Argonauts, whose quest for the Golden Fleece featured in Greek literature. He was the son of Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcos. He was married to the sorceress Medea. He ...

. The name Laura was the most rare in the years 1887, 1888, 1890, 1891, 1893, 1897, 1898, 1905, 1963, and 1968. In Europe, the name Laura remains as popular as it was in the past. In the early 21st century in the late 2000s, it ranked within the top 10 in countries such as Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Greenland, Luxembourg, Spain, and Switzerland. The name is occasionally confused or conjoined with the name Lara (pronounced La-ra) which is a totally different name and is listed separately on name popularity lists.

Variants

* Lára: Icelandic * Lara: Turkish * Laoura (Λάουρα):

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

* Laura:

Catalan Catalan may refer to: Catalonia From, or related to Catalonia: * Catalan language, a Romance language * Catalans, an ethnic group formed by the people from, or with origins in, Northern or southern Catalonia Places * 13178 Catalan, asteroid #1 ...

, Croatian,

Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus' Places * Czech, ...

Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish a ...

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

, Estonian,

Finnish Finnish may refer to: * Something or someone from, or related to Finland * Culture of Finland * Finnish people or Finns, the primary ethnic group in Finland * Finnish language, the national language of the Finnish people * Finnish cuisine See also ...

, French,

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

, Hungarian,

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

, Latvian, Lithuanian,

Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe * Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway * Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including ...

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, w ...

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

Romanian Romanian may refer to: *anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania **Romanians, an ethnic group **Romanian language, a Romance language *** Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language ** Romanian cuisine, tradition ...

Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...

, Slovak, Slovene,

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

, Albanian * Laure: French * Lavra: Slovene * Lora:

Bulgarian Bulgarian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Bulgaria * Bulgarians, a South Slavic ethnic group * Bulgarian language, a Slavic language * Bulgarian alphabet * A citizen of Bulgaria, see Demographics of Bulgaria * Bul ...

* Lowri:

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

Notable people with the name

Religion

* Saint Laura, Spanish martyr

Academics

* Laura Poantă, Romanian physician, writer and artist, professor at Iuliu Hațieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy *

Laura Wright Laura Wright (née Sisk) is an American actress. She is perhaps best known for her roles as Ally Rescott on ''Loving'' (1991–1995) and '' The City'' (1995–1997), Cassie Layne Winslow on ''Guiding Light'' (1997–2005) and Carly Corinthos on ...

, professor of English at Western Carolina University *

Laura Waller Laura Ann Waller is a computer scientist and Ted Van Duzer Endowed Associate Professor at the University of California, Berkeley. She was awarded a Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Fellowship to develop microscopes to image deep structures within the b ...

, professor at University of California, Berkeley of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences * Laura Schulz, professor of cognitive science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Artists

* Laura Rodig (1901–1972), Chilean painter, sculptor, illustrator, educator

Celebrities

* Laura Anderson, Scottish television personality *

Laura Ashley Laura Ashley (née Mountney; 7 September 1925 – 17 September 1985) was a Welsh fashion designer and businesswoman. She originally made furnishing materials in the 1950s, expanding the business into clothing design and manufacture in the 1960s ...

, British fashion designer *

Laura Biagiotti Laura Biagiotti (; 4 August 1943 – 26 May 2017) was an Italian fashion designer, and the founder of the House of Biagiotti. Early life Biagiotti was born in Rome on 4 August 1943. Her mother Delia Soldaini Biagiotti was a successful dressm ...

, Italian fashion designer * Laura Calder, Canadian chef and host of program French Food at Home, from Food Network Canada *

Laura Deming Laura Deming (born 1994) is a venture capitalist whose work focuses on life extension, and using biological research to reduce or reverse the effects of aging. Education Laura Deming is the daughter of John and Tabitha Deming; she grew up in N ...

, American businesswoman * Laura Lang, American businesswoman *

Laura Mercier Laura Mercier (born Michèle Mercier on 2 October 1960) is a French makeup artist and businesswoman. Early life Laura Mercier was born as Michèle Mercier in Arles, France, on 2 October 1960, the youngest of three daughters. At 16, she enrolled ...

, French make-up artist in the cosmetics business * Laura Neri, Italian-Greek director *

Laura Schlessinger Laura Catherine Schlessinger (born January 16, 1947) is an American talk radio host and author. ''The Dr. Laura Program'', heard weekdays for three hours on Sirius XM Radio, consists mainly of her responses to callers' requests for personal adv ...

, American radio talk show host known as Dr. Laura * Laura Schwartz, American political commentator *

Laura Secord Laura Secord ( Ingersoll; 13 September 1775 – 17 October 1868) was a Canadian heroine of the War of 1812. She is known for having walked out of American-occupied territory in 1813 to warn British forces of an impending American atta ...

, Canadian heroine in the War of 1812

Entertainers

L'Aura Laura Abela (born 13 August 1984), known by the pseudonym L'Aura, is an Italian singer, songwriter, composer, pianist and violinist. Career Early years L'Aura spent two years in San Francisco in preparation for recording her first record titled ...

, Italian singer *

Laura Allen Laura Allen (born March 21, 1974) is an American actress. She starred as Lily Tyler during the first two seasons of the USA Network television series ''The 4400''. Personal life Allen was born in Portland, Oregon, the daughter of Julie and Da ...

, American actress * Laura Bailey (model), English model *

Laura Bailey (voice actress) Laura Bailey is an American voice actress. She made her anime debut as Kid Trunks in the Funimation dub of ''Dragon Ball Z''. Her other anime credits include Emily / Glitter Lucky in ''Glitter Force'', Tohru Honda in ''Fruits Basket'', Lust in ...

, American voice actress *

Laura Benanti Laura Ilene Benanti (née Vidnovic; born July 13, 1979) is an American actress and singer. Over the course of her Broadway career, she has received five Tony Award nominations. She played Louise in the 2008 Broadway revival of '' Gypsy'', winni ...

, American actress * Laura Bertram, Canadian actress *

Laura Birn Laura Eveliina Birn (born 25 April 1981) is a Finnish film actress. Birn was born in Helsinki, Finland. She completed her master's degree from Helsinki Theatre Academy in 2008. She is most famous for her appearances in the 2003 film ''Helmi ...

, Finnish actress *

Laura Branigan Laura Ann Branigan (July 3, 1952 – August 26, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Her signature song, the platinum-certified 1982 single "Gloria", stayed on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 for 36 weeks, then a record for a ...

, American singer *

Laura Breckenridge Laura Marie Breckenridge (born August 22, 1983) is an American actress. She is known for her role as college student Rose Sorelli on the television series '' Related''. Life and career Breckenridge was born August 22, 1983 in Flourtown, Pennsylv ...

, American actress *

Laura Bryan Birn Laura Bryan Birn (born April 3, 1965, in Chicago, Illinois) is an American actress known for her role as Paul Williams' assistant, Lynne Bassett, on the soap opera, ''The Young and the Restless ''The Young and the Restless'' (often abbreviat ...

, American actress * Laura Bryna, American country music singer *

Laura Bell Bundy Laura Ashley Bell Bundy (born April 10, 1981) is an American actress and singer. She is best known for originating the Broadway roles of Amber Von Tussle in the musical version of '' Hairspray and'' Elle Woods in the musical version of ''Legall ...

, American actress *

Laura Carmichael Laura Elizabeth Carmichael (born 16 July 1986) is an English film and television actress, most widely known for her performance as Lady Edith Crawley in the ITV (UK) and PBS (US) television period drama series'' Downton Abbey''. Her other wo ...

, English actress * Laura Christensen, Danish actress *

Laura Connor Laura Connor is a British former ballet dancer with The Royal Ballet. Career She was a principal dancer with The Royal Ballet. In 1974, Connor danced in the original cast of MacMillan's '' Manon'' in London and New York. In 1977, she danced Snowf ...

, British ballet dancer *

Laura Dern Laura Elizabeth Dern (born February 10, 1967) is an American actress. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a BAFTA Award, and five Golden Globe Awards. Born to actor Bruce Dern and a ...

, American actress *

Laura Dickinson Laura Elsie Dickinson (born September 23, 1979) is an American musician and actress from California who is a vocalist for featured songs on the Disney Channel's programs ''Phineas and Ferb'', ''Sofia the First'', and ''Jake and the Never Land P ...

, American actress *

Laura Donnelly Laura Donnelly (born 24 June 1982) is a Northern Irish actress. She is the recipient of a Laurence Olivier Award as well as a nomination for a Tony Award. On television, she is known for her roles in the Starz series '' Outlander'' (2014–201 ...

, British actress * Laura Esterman, American actress *

Laura Fygi Laura Fygi (born 27 August 1955) is a Dutch jazz singer. Fygi's father was a Dutch businessman, a director of Philips, and her mother an Egyptian belly dancer. She was raised in Uruguay, until her father's death in the late 1960s, when she mo ...

, Dutch singer *

Laura Gemser Laurette Marcia Gemser (born 5 October 1950) is an Indonesian-Dutch retired actress, model and costume designer. She is primarily known for her work in Italian erotic cinema, most notably the ''Emanuelle'' series. Many of her films were collab ...

, Indonesian-Dutch actress *

Laura Gómez (actress) Laura Gómez is a Dominican actress, writer, and director. Gómez is best known for her portrayal of the character Blanca Flores in the Netflix series ''Orange Is The New Black''. In Fall 2012, she won the NYU Technisphere Award for her short fi ...

, American actress *

Laura Harrier Laura Ruth Harrier (born March 28, 1990) is an American actress and model. She began modeling at the age of 17 after she was discovered by a location scout. She moved to New York City where she continued modeling and was represented by agencie ...

, American actress and model *

Laura Harring Laura Elena, Countess von Bismarck-Schönhausen (née Martínez Herring; March 3, 1964), known professionally as Laura Harring, is a Mexican-American actress. In 1985, Harring became the first Hispanic woman crowned Miss USA. She later began her ...

, Mexican-American actress *

Laura Hope Crews Laura Hope Crews (December 12, 1879 – November 12, 1942) was an American actress who is best remembered today for her later work as a character actress in motion pictures of the 1930s. Her best-known film role was Aunt Pittypat in ''Gone ...

, American actress *

Laura Innes Laura Elizabeth Innes (born August 16, 1957) is an American actress and television director. She starred as Dr. Kerry Weaver in the NBC medical drama '' ER'' from 1995 to 2007 and reprised her role from 2008 to 2009 in the final season. She also ...

, American actress * Laura Izibor, Irish musician * Laura Jane Grace, American singer for the band Against Me! *

Laura Johnson Laura Johnson is an American actress. She is best known for playing Terry Hartford in the CBS primetime soap opera ''Falcon Crest'' from 1983 to 1986. Career Johnson made her film debut in the 1977 drama film ''Opening Night'' directed by John ...

, American actress * Laura Kampf, German YouTuber, designer, and craftswoman *

Laura Kightlinger Laura Kightlinger (born June 13, 1964) is an American actress, comedian, and writer. She was a writer and consulting producer on ''Will & Grace'', while also occasionally appearing on the show as the character Nurse Sheila. She was also a write ...

, American actress * Laura Linney, American actress *

Laura MacFarlane Laura Sandra MacFarlane (also credited as Lora MacFarlane) is a multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter and audio engineer. Since 1996 she is the founding mainstay of the Australian indie rock band, ninetynine. MacFarlane also performs solo an ...

, Scottish musician, singer and songwriter *

Laura Macrì Laura Macrì (born 29 June 1990 in Caltanissetta, Sicily, Italy) is an Italian soprano. Biography Macrì studied at the Vincenzo Bellini Music Conservatory in Caltanissetta with Tiziana Arena and graduated Latin honors, cum laude in vocal stu ...

, Italian singer *

Laura Main Laura Main (born 8 March 1981) is a Scottish actress known for her role as Sister Bernadette (later Dr. Turner's wife Shelagh Turner) in the BBC One drama series ''Call the Midwife''. Early life and education Laura Main was born in Aberdeen. H ...

, Scottish actress *

Laura Malmivaara Laura Pauliina Malmivaara (born 26 October 1973) is a Finnish actress. Her acting career began in 1993, and includes dozens of roles in film and television productions, as well as stage appearances. In addition to acting, she has also worked as ...

, Finnish actress *

Laura Marano Laura Marie Marano (born November 29, 1995) is an American actress and singer. She is known for her role in the Disney Channel series ''Austin & Ally'' as Ally Dawson. Marano was one of the five original classmates in '' Are You Smarter than a ...

, American actress and singer *

Laura Marling Laura Beatrice Marling (born 1 February 1990) is a British folk singer-songwriter. She won the Brit Award for Best British Female Solo Artist at the 2011 Brit Awards and was nominated for the same award at the 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2018 Brit Aw ...

, English singer *

Laura Mennell Laura Mennell (; born 18 April 1980) is a Canadian actress known for her roles in ''Thirteen Ghosts'', ''Alphas'', '' Haven'', '' Loudermilk'', ''The Man in the High Castle'', ''Watchmen'' and '' Batwoman''. In 2011/2012 Mennell co-starred on th ...

, Canadian actress *

Laura Morante Laura Morante (born 21 August 1956) is an Italian film actress. Life and career Morante was born in Santa Fiora, province of Grosseto (Tuscany), the daughter of lawyer and playwright Marcello Morante, who was the son of Irma (née Poggibonsi) ...

, Italian actress * Laura Neiva, Brazilian actress *

Laura Nyro Laura Nyro ( ; born Laura Nigro; October 18, 1947 – April 8, 1997) was an American songwriter, singer, and pianist. She achieved critical acclaim with her own recordings, particularly the albums ''Eli and the Thirteenth Confession'' (1968 ...

, American singer-songwriter *

Laura Okmin This article is a list of every person who has served as an on-camera announcer for the ''NFL on Fox'': List of current announcers A *Kenny Albert: play-by-play (1994–present) *Erin Andrews: sideline reporter and ''Fox NFL Sunday'' feature r ...

, American sportscaster and NFL on Fox sideline reporter *

Laura Omloop Laura Omloop (born 18 May 1999) is a Belgian pop singer who represented her country in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2009 in Kyiv, Ukraine, finishing in fourth place. Omloop sang the song "Zo verliefd", which contains yodeling. This was B ...

, Belgian singer, yodeler and Junior Eurovision representative *

Laura Osnes Laura Ann Osnes (born November 19, 1985) is an American actress and singer known for her work on the Broadway stage. She has played starring roles in '' Grease'' as Sandy, ''South Pacific'' as Nellie Forbush, '' Anything Goes'' as Hope Harcourt, ...

, American actress * Laura Pausini, Italian singer-songwriter *

Laura Põldvere Laura Põldvere (formerly Remmel; born 30 August 1988) sometimes known professionally as simply Laura, is an Estonian singer. She is said to be the most played Estonian artist on Estonian radio in the past decade. She is internationally known for ...

, Estonian singer *

Laura Prepon Laura Helene Prepon (born March 7, 1980) is an American actress. She rose to fame with her role as Donna Pinciotti in the Fox sitcom ''That '70s Show'' (1998–2006). She is also known for portraying Alex Vause in the Netflix comedy-drama ser ...

, American actress, ''That '70s Show'' *

Laura Ramsey Laura Ramsey is an American film and television actress. She is best known for her roles in films such as 2006's ''She's the Man'' and '' The Covenant'', 2008's '' The Ruins'', 2009's '' Middle Men'', 2011's '' Kill the Irishman'', and 2013's '' A ...

, American actress * Laura Regan, Canadian actress *

Laura Rutledge Laura Rutledge ( née McKeeman; born October 2, 1988) is a reporter and host for ESPN and the SEC Network. She is an American beauty pageant titleholder from St. Petersburg, Florida, who was named Miss Florida 2012. Biography She won the title o ...

, American beauty pageant titleholder, sportscaster and ESPN College Football sideline reporter *

Laura San Giacomo Laura San Giacomo (born November 14, 1962) is an American actress. She played Cynthia in the film ''Sex, Lies, and Videotape'' (1989) for which she won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female, Kit De Luca in the film ''Pretty Woman ...

, American actress *

Laura Sánchez (model) Laura Sánchez López (born 29 May 1981) is a Spanish model and television actress. Modeling Sánchez began her modeling career in Huelva, and broke through when Victorio & Lucchino, fashion designers in Seville, hired her as a clothes model ...

, Spanish model *

Laura Shigihara is a Japanese–American singer-songwriter, composer, video game developer, and Twitch streamer. She is best known as the lead composer and sound designer for the tower defense game ''Plants vs. Zombies'' and the creator of the acclaimed indie ...

, American singer-songwriter *

Laura Spencer (actress) Laura Spencer (born May 8, 1986) is an US actress. She is known for playing Jane Bennet in the 2012 web series ''The Lizzie Bennet Diaries'' which is an adaptation of '' Pride and Prejudice'', intern Jessica Warren in seasons 9 to 12 of ''Bones, ...

(born 1986), American actress * Laura Stoica, Romanian singer and actress *

Laura Vandervoort Laura Dianne Vandervoort (born September 22, 1984) is a Canadian actress. She is best known for her roles as Sadie Harrison in the CTV teen drama series ''Instant Star'', Arla "The Bolt-Gun Killer" Cogan in the Syfy supernatural drama series '' ...

, Canadian actress *

Laura Veirs Laura Pauline Veirs (born October 24, 1973) is an American singer-songwriter based out of Portland, Oregon. She is known for her folk/ alternative country records and live performances as well as her collaboration with Neko Case and k.d. lang o ...

, American singer-songwriter * Laura White, British actress *

Laura Whitmore Laura Whitmore (born 4 May 1985) is an Irish media personality and model based in London. She was a video jockey for MTV in 2008, and has since presented television shows, such as ''This Morning'' (2014), '' Survival of the Fittest'' (2018) ...

, Irish presenter *

, American actress

Law

* Laura Codruţa Kövesi, former Prosecutor-General of Romania * Laura E. Gómez, Mexican-Armerican law professor, University of New Mexico * Laura Wasser, American attorney

Nobility

Laura Margherita Mazzarini Laura Margherita Mazzarini (1608–9 June 1685) was the daughter of Pietro Mazzarini and Ortensia Buffalini. Life and career On 9 July 1634 she was married to Count Girolamo Martinozzi (b. 1610). They had two daughters: Anna Maria (Rome, 1637 - ...

(1608–1685), Italian noblewoman *

Laura de Noves Laura de Noves (1310–1348) was the wife of Count Hugues de Sade (ancestor of the Marquis de Sade). She could be the Laura that the Humanist poet Francesco Petrarch wrote about extensively; however, she has never been positively identified as ...

, 14th-century French noblewoman, perhaps the subject of love poetry by Petrarch

Politics

Laura Baird Laura L. Baird (born 1 October 1952) is an American politician and judge. She was a member of the Michigan House of Representatives from 1995 to 2000, when she was elected a judge of the Michigan Circuit Court. Personal life and legal career Bai ...

, American politician *

Laura Balbo Laura Balbo (born Padua, 30 November 1933) is an Italian sociologist and politician. A Fulbright Scholar, Balbo initially studied at the Universities of Padua and California, Berkeley before teaching at the Universities of Milan and Ferrara. ...

, Italian sociologist and politician *

Laura Boldrini Laura Boldrini, (; born 28 April 1961) is an Italian politician and former United Nations official, who served as President of the Chamber of Deputies of Italy. Previously she served as Spokesperson to the United Nations High Commissioner for ...

, Italian politician *

Laura Borràs Laura Borràs i Castanyer (born 5 October 1970) is a Catalan philologist, academic and politician from Spain who was the President of the Parliament of Catalonia until her suspension as member of the Parliament of Catalonia under allegations of ...

, Catalan politician *

Laura Bromet Laura Bromet (born 17 January 1970) is a Dutch politician of GroenLinks and a member of the House of Representatives (Netherlands), House of Representatives since 2018. Bromet studied Dutch language and literature and also cultural studies at ...

, Dutch politician * Laura Bush, First Lady of the United States from January 20, 2001 to January 20, 2009 *

Laura Chinchilla Laura Chinchilla Miranda (; born 28 March 1959) is a Costa Rican politician who was President of Costa Rica from 2010 to 2014. She was one of Óscar Arias Sánchez's two Vice-Presidents and his administration's Minister of Justice. She was t ...

, 49th

President of Costa Rica The president of the Republic of Costa Rica is the head of state and head of government of Costa Rica. The president is currently elected in direct elections for a period of four years, which is not immediately renewable. Two vice presidents are ...

* Laura Clay, American suffragist *

Laura Garza Laura Garza is an American socialist politician, a garment worker and a member of UNITE HERE Local 187. Garza ran twice for public office in Florida; 1993 for Mayor of Miami, and 1994 for United States House of Representatives in Florida's 21st ...

, American politician *

Laura Garza Galindo Laura Alicia Garza Galindo (born 27 November 1947) is a Mexican politician affiliated with the Institutional Revolutionary Party. As of 2014 she served as Senator of the LIV, LVIII and LIX Legislatures of the Mexican Congress representing Tamau ...

, Mexican politician * Laura Grimond, British politician *

Laura Kelly Laura Jeanne Kelly (born January 24, 1950)"Laura Kelly,"
''Kansapedia,''

, 48th governor of Kansas *

Laura Loomer Laura Elizabeth Loomer (born May 21, 1993) is an American far-right and anti-Muslim political activist, white nationalist, conspiracy theorist, and internet personality. She was the Republican nominee to represent Florida's 21st congressional ...

, American activist *

Laura Miller Laura Miller (born November 18, 1958) is an American journalist and politician who served as the 58th mayor of Dallas, Texas from 2002 through 2007. She decided not to run for re-election in 2007. She was the third woman to serve as mayor of Da ...

, 58th

Mayor of Dallas The Mayor of the City of Dallas is the head of the Dallas City Council. The current mayor is Eric Johnson, who has served one term since 2019 and is the 62nd mayor to serve the position. Dallas operates under a weak-mayor system, and a board-a ...

(2002–2007) * Laura Moffatt, British MP (1997–2010) *

Laura Pidcock Laura Pidcock (born 19 August 1987) is a British former Labour Party politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for North West Durham from 2017 until 2019, when she lost her seat in what was the worst defeat for the Labour Party sin ...

, British MP (2017–2019) * Laura Pollán, Cuban dissident *

Laura Sandys Laura Jane Sandys (; born 5 June 1964) is a former chair of the European Movement UK, and a British Conservative Party politician, who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for South Thanet between 2010 and 2015 when she stood down at the ...

, British MP (2010–2015) * Laura Smith, British MP (2017–2019) * Laura Trott, British MP (2019–present) * Laura Vilagrà (born 1976), Catalan politician

Science and technology

* Laura Ahtime, statistician from the Seychelles *

Laura Bassi Laura Maria Caterina Bassi Veratti (29 October 1711 – 20 February 1778) was an Italian physicist and academic. Recognized and depicted as "Minerva" (goddess of wisdom), she was the first woman to have a doctorate in science, and the second wo ...

(1711–1778), Italian physicist *

Laura Berman Laura Berman is an American relationship therapist and television host. She is the host of ''In the Bedroom with Dr. Laura Berman'' on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN). She is also a regular guest on '' The Dr. Oz Show'', and hosts her own nationa ...

, American sex therapist * Laura J. Esserman, American surgeon and oncologist

Sports

Laura Benkarth Laura Anna Benkarth (born 14 October 1992) is a German footballer who plays for Bayern Munich and the German national team. Professional career Benkarth began her career at SV Biengen and FC Wolfenweiler-Schallstadt. In 2008, she arrived in the ...

, German footballer and goalkeeper *

Laura Berg Laura Kay Berg (born January 6, 1975) is an American college softball head coach for Oregon State and a former collegiate four-time All-American and Olympian. She played for the Fresno State Bulldogs from 1994–98, where she won the 1998 W ...

, American head college softball coach * Laura Brown (cyclist), Canadian cyclist * Laura Brown (golfer), American golfer *

Laura Dahlmeier Laura Dahlmeier (; born 22 August 1993) is a retired German biathlete. Dahlmeier started in her first world cup races in the 2012/13 season. In 2014, she participated in the Winter Olympics in Sochi. She won a record of five gold medals at the ...

, German biathlete *

Laura Davies Dame Laura Jane Davies, (born 5 October 1963) is an English female professional golfer. She has achieved the status of her nation's most accomplished female golfer of modern times, being the first non-American to finish at the top of the LPGA ...

, English golfer *

Laura Davies (bodybuilder) Laura Davies (born July 23, 1960 in Hamilton, Ontario) is a professional Canadian bodybuilder of Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * ...

, Canadian bodybuilder * Laura Davis (swimmer), American female medley swimmer *

Laura Davis (volleyball) Laura Davis (born November 26, 1973) is a retired American female volleyball player. She was part of the United States women's national volleyball team at the 1998 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship in Japan. In 1995, she won the Honda-B ...

, American volleyball player *

Laura del Colle Laura Andrea del Colle is an Argentine field hockey player. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, she competed for the Argentina women's national field hockey team in the Field hockey at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Women's tournament, women's event and w ...

, Argentine floor hockey player * Laura Douglas (athlete), Welsh hammer thrower * Laura Gil, Spanish basketball player * Laura Gómez (judoka), Spanish judoka * Laura Heyrman, Belgian volleyball player *

Laura Hodges Laura Hodges (née Summerton, born 13 December 1983) is an Australian female professional basketball player, having played in Australia's Women's National Basketball League (WNBL), Europe, and the WNBA. She currently plays for the Adelaide Li ...

, Australian professional basketball player *

Laura Kenny Dame Laura Rebecca Kenny, Lady Kenny ( Trott; born 24 April 1992) is a British track and road cyclist who specialises in track endurance events, specifically the team pursuit, omnium, scratch race, elimination race and madison disciplines. Wi ...

, British cyclist *

Laura Malcolm Laura Malcolm (born 20 May 1991) is an English netball player who has been a co-captain of the national team. At club level, she is scheduled to play for Mainland Tactix during the 2023 ANZ Premiership season. She has previously played for N ...

(born 1991), English netball player *

Laura Nicholls (basketball) Laura Nicholls González (born 26 February 1989) is a Spanish basketball player who plays for Casademont Zaragoza of La Liga Feminina. She is a regular member of the Spain women's national basketball team since 2008, having won eight medals i ...

, Spanish basketball player * Laura Nicholls (swimmer), Canadian former competition swimmer *

Laura Robson Laura Robson (born 21 January 1994) is a British former professional tennis player. She debuted on the ITF Junior Circuit in 2007, and a year later won the Junior Wimbledon championships at the age of 14. As a junior, she also twice reached t ...

, British tennis player *

Laura Sánchez (diver) Laura Aleida Sánchez Soto (born October 16, 1985, in Guadalajara) is a Mexican female diver. She has represented her native country at three consecutive Summer Olympics, starting in 2004 (Athens, Greece). Sánchez scored her first Olympic meda ...

, Mexican diver * Laura Sánchez (swimmer), Mexican swimmer *

Laura Siegemund Laura Natalie Siegemund (born 4 March 1988, in Filderstadt) is a German professional tennis player. She is a two-time Grand Slam champion, having won the 2020 US Open in women's doubles with Vera Zvonareva, as well as the 2016 US Open in mi ...

, German tennis player *

Laura Stockdale Laura may refer to: People * Laura (given name) * Laura, the British code name for the World War I Belgian spy Marthe Cnockaert Places Australia * Laura, Queensland, a town on the Cape York Peninsula * Laura, South Australia * Laura Bay, a bay o ...

, English footballer * Laura Taylor (born 1999), Australian swimmer * Laura Walker, Canadian curler *

Laura Zeng Laura Yihan Zeng (; ''Zeng Yi-Han''; born October 14, 1999) is an American former individual rhythmic gymnast. She represented the United States at the 2016 and 2020 Summer Olympics. She swept all of the events at the 2015 Pan American Games an ...

, American rhythmic gymnast

Writers and journalists

Laura Brown (fashion journalist) Laura Brown (born 27 May 1974) is an Australian fashion journalist. She is a former editor-in-chief of ''InStyle'' magazine and former Features/Special Projects and executive director of ''Harper's Bazaar'' magazine. She graduated from Charles St ...

, American fashion journalist * Laura J. Burns, American author *

Laura Eldridge Laura Eldridge is a women's health writer and activist. She began working with the legendary women's health activist and author of ''The Doctor's Case Against The Pill'', Barbara Seaman, when studying at Barnard College. She is co-author of ''T ...

, American women's health writer and activist * Laura Dayton Fessenden (1852–1924), American author * LauraMaery Gold, American author * Laura Goode, American novelist * Laura Hillman (b.1923), German-born American memoirist, Holocaust survivor and "Schindler Jew" *

Laura Ingalls Wilder Laura Elizabeth Ingalls Wilder (February 7, 1867 – February 10, 1957) was an American writer, mostly known for the '' Little House on the Prairie'' series of children's books, published between 1932 and 1943, which were based on her childhood ...

, American author of Little House on the Prairie * Laura M. Johns (1849–1935), American suffragist and journalist *

Laura Kuenssberg Laura Juliet Kuenssberg (born 8 August 1976) is a British journalist who currently presents the BBC's flagship Sunday morning politics show. She succeeded Nick Robinson as political editor of BBC News in July 2015, and was the first woman to ...

, British journalist, BBC political correspondent * Laura Ling, American journalist *

Laura Mestre Hevia Laura Mestre Hevia (6 April 1867 – 11 January 1944) was a Cuban translator, humanist and writer. Some of her work was published, and at her death she left unpublished translations into Spanish of the works of Homer. Life Laura Mestre Hevia w ...

(1867–1944), Cuban translator, humanist and writer * Laura Miller (journalist), Scottish broadcast journalist *

Laura Miller (writer) Laura Miller is an American journalist and critic based in New York City. She is a co-founder of Salon.com. Early life Miller was raised as a Catholic and grew up in California. She has since said she deplores the Church's "guilt-mongering and ...

, American author * Laura Resnick, American writer * Laura Villanueva Rocabado (pseudonym, Hilda Mundy; 1912–1980), Bolivian writer, poet, journalist * Laura Thompson (journalist), Canadian musician and CBC reporter and producer * Laura Rosamond White (1844-1922), American author

Fictional characters

* Laura, an anesthesiologist from the television series ''

In Treatment ''In Treatment'' is an American drama television series for HBO, produced and developed by Rodrigo Garcia, based on the Israeli series '' BeTipul'' ( he, בטיפול), created by Hagai Levi, Ori Sivan and Nir Bergman. The series is about a ...

'' * Laura Harris, the protagonist of the video game '' D'' * Laura Lewis, the protagonist of the video game ''

Enemy Zero is a 1996 horror-themed adventure video game for the Sega Saturn, developed by Warp and directed by Kenji Eno. Players assume the role of an astronaut who awakens from cryogenic sleep to find her spaceship overrun by invisible creatures who ...

'' * Laura, a young girl in the ''

Silent Hill is a horror anthology media franchise centered on a series of survival horror games created by Keiichiro Toyama and published by Konami. The first four video games in the series, '' Silent Hill'', ''Silent Hill 2'', ''Silent Hill 3'' and '' ...

'' video game franchise * Laura Parton, the protagonist of the video game '' D2'' * Laura, a female lead character in '' Brick'' * Laura, a main character in the Sheridan Le Fanu 1871 novel '' Carmilla'' and its adaptations, including the

webseries A web series (also known as a web show) is a series of scripted or non-scripted online videos, generally in episodic form, released on the Internet, which first emerged in the late 1990s and became more prominent in the early 2000s. A single in ...

of the same name * Laura Alden, a character in ''

Wolf The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, and gray wolves, as popularly un ...

'' * Laura Bristow, an alias for

Irina Derevko Irina Derevko () is a fictional character on the television series ''Alias'', and a main character during the second season of the series. Irina, played by Lena Olin, is the mother of the central character, Sydney Bristow. Biography She is firs ...

, the mother of Sydney Bristow on the television series ''

Alias Alias may refer to: * Pseudonym * Pen name * Nickname Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Alias'' (2013 film), a 2013 Canadian documentary film * ''Alias'' (TV series), an American action thriller series 2001–2006 * ''Alias the ...

'' * Laura Carrot, a character in ''

VeggieTales ''VeggieTales'' is an American Christian media, computer generated musical children's animation, and book franchise created by Phil Vischer and Mike Nawrocki under Big Idea Entertainment. The series sees fruit and vegetable characters retell ...

'' * Laura Diamond, protagonist of the television series ''

The Mysteries of Laura ''The Mysteries of Laura'' is an American police procedural comedy-drama television series that premiered on September 17, 2014 on NBC. It was developed by Jeff Rake, who also serves as an executive producer. The series, which stars Debra Messing ...

'' *

Laura Hardy (Hardy Boys) Many characters have appeared in the fictional series of books about The Hardy Boys. Character history Original series At the beginning of the original Hardy Boys series, Frank is only 16 years old (as opposed to 18 after the revisions betwee ...

, mother from the ''Hardy Boys'' series of books * Laura Haruna (aka Hiroko), a character from the anime series ''

Hamtaro ''Hamtaro'', known in Japan as , is a Japanese manga and storybook series created and illustrated by Ritsuko Kawai about a hamster. The manga was serialized in Shogakukan's "Second Grade" magazine in April 1997; more ''Hamtaro'' stor ...

'' * Laura Horton, a former character on the soap opera '' Days of Our Lives'' * Laura Hunt, the protagonist of Otto Preminger's 1944 film '' Laura'' *

Laura Kinney Laura Kinney (born X-23; Pseudonym, codename Wolverine (character), Wolverine) is a fictional superhero appearing in media (communication), media published by Marvel Entertainment, most commonly in association with the X-Men. The character was cr ...

, also known as X-23, a Marvel Comics character * Laura Palmer, from the television series ''Twin Peaks'' * Laura Parker, an English model in

Sarra Manning Sarra Manning is an English writer and journalist. She attended the University of Sussex and took an English with media studies degree. She became a freelance writer after submitting her work to '' Melody Maker''. She worked as the entertainment ...

's ''Fashionistas'' book series. * Laura Petrie, a character from the American sitcom ''

The Dick Van Dyke Show ''The Dick Van Dyke Show'' is an American television sitcom created by Carl Reiner that initially aired on CBS from October 3, 1961 to June 1, 1966, with a total of 158 half-hour episodes spanning five seasons. It was produced by Calvada Product ...

'', played by

Mary Tyler Moore Mary Tyler Moore (December 29, 1936 – January 25, 2017) was an American actress, producer, and social advocate. She is best known for her roles on ''The Dick Van Dyke Show'' (1961–1966) and ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' (1970–1977), which ...

Laura Roslin Laura Roslin is a fictional character in the re-imagined '' Battlestar Galactica'' series, portrayed by Mary McDonnell. She is the President of the Twelve Colonies of Kobol and is one of the primary characters in the show. Character biography ...

, from the reimagined television series ''Battlestar Galactica'' * Laura Spencer, a character on the soap opera '' General Hospital'' * Laura Winslow, a character from the American sitcom ''Family Matters'' * Laura Gauthier, a recurring character from the incomplete French TV series, '' Code Lyoko: Evolution'' * Laure Berthaud, main character of French crime series ''

Engrenages ''Spiral'' (french: Engrenages, ) is a French television police procedural and legal drama series following the work and the private lives of Paris police officers and lawyers and judges at the Palais de Justice, Paris. It was created by Alex ...

'' *

Laura Matsuda Laura Matsuda is a fictional character from the ''Street Fighter'' series of video games, making her first appearance in 2016's ''Street Fighter V''. She is the sister of Sean Matsuda, a character from 1997's '' Street Fighter III'' and its upda ...

, a character from the ''

Street Fighter V ''Street Fighter V'' is a fighting game developed by Capcom and Dimps and published by Capcom for PlayStation 4 and Microsoft Windows, Windows in 2016. An Arcade game, arcade version exclusive to Japan was released by Taito in 2019. Similar to th ...

'' * Laura Sorkin, a scientist from the video game '' Jurassic Park: The Game''

Name days

Christian

name day In Christianity, a name day is a tradition in many countries of Europe and the Americas, among other parts of Christendom. It consists of celebrating a day of the year that is associated with one's baptismal name, which is normatively that of a ...

s for Laura: * January 15: Sweden * January 18: Estonia, Finland * January 22: France * April 18: Latvia * June 1: Czech Republic * June 5: Slovakia, Slovenia * June 17: Hungary, Lithuania, Poland * August 10: Austria, Germany * October 19: Lithuania, Italy, Spain, England

References

External links

* {{given name English feminine given names Estonian feminine given names Feminine given names German feminine given names Italian feminine given names Latvian feminine given names Lithuanian feminine given names Romanian feminine given names Spanish feminine given names French feminine given names Finnish feminine given names Hungarian feminine given names Polish feminine given names