Laura
Laura comes from the Latin "laurus," meaning laurel — the evergreen tree whose leaves were woven into crowns for victors in ancient Greece and Rome. The laurel wreath was the symbol of triumph in poetry, athletics, and war. The name thus means "laurel" and, by extension, "victorious" or "crowned with laurel." The poet Petrarch (1304-1374) wrote hundreds of sonnets to a woman named Laura — one of the great love poetry sequences in European literature. Laura was a top-50 American name from 1880 to 1930, declined mid-century, then had a smaller peak in the 1970s-80s. Laura Ingalls Wilder (1867-1957), the author of the "Little House on the Prairie" books (1932-1943), is one of the most beloved American children's authors. Laura Dern (born 1967), the actress known for "Jurassic Park" and "Marriage Story," gave the name a contemporary charge. I find Laura has an elegant, slightly literary quality — the "L" opening is gentle, and the "ur" ending gives it weight. The name sounds both classic and contemporary. Laura is a female name of Latin origin that means "Laurel (the plant, symbol of victory)". Elegant, literary, and classic. The name sounds graceful. Lauras tend to be warm. US top 100 most years since 1880. Well-known people named Laura include Laura Ingalls Wilder (author), Laura Dern (actress), Laura (Petrarch's muse), Laura (fictional, various). Common variations and related forms of Laura include Laurel (related), Lauren (related), Loretta (related), Lara (Russian).