Fun Facts About the Name Lavender
- More than 2 thousand babies named Lavender: U.S. records list 2,318 babies given the name Lavender from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Lavender Mean?
Lavender is an English name taken from the flowering herb Lavandula, called lavender in English. The plant word came into English from Old French lavandre, which descends from Medieval Latin lavendula, also recorded as livendula. The origin of that Latin form is not settled. The most common explanation connects it to Latin lavare, "to wash," because the herb was used to scent bath water and freshly washed linen. A second explanation connects it to Latin livere, "to be bluish," describing the flower's color. The literal meaning is simply the plant; the color sense, a pale purple, grew out of the flower later and is not the root of the name.
Lavender Name History & Origins
Lavender is established in English as a surname, and its use as a first name is a transferred use of either that surname or the plant word itself. It belongs to the English habit of naming children after plants and flowers, the same pattern that produced Rose, Violet, and Daisy, though lavender has always been a far less common choice than those.
The herb has a long Mediterranean history behind it. Greek and Roman writers knew lavender for its scent, and it was used in bath water, in oils, and to perfume linens and rooms; dried flowers were laid among stored clothing. In England it was cultivated for perfume and medicine, and from the 18th into the 19th century the fields around Mitcham in Surrey were known for lavender growing.
As a modern literary association, the name appears as Lavender Brown in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter novels. That is a recent use of an already existing name, not its source.
How Popular is the Name Lavender?
Lavender recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2024. Its best rank was #998 in 2024.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,095 | 220 | 0.0137% |
| 2024 | #998 | 258 | 0.0160% |
| 2023 | #1,179 | 203 | 0.0127% |
| 2022 | #1,269 | 189 | 0.0115% |
| 2021 | #1,394 | 157 | 0.0096% |
| 2020 | #1,428 | 153 | 0.0095% |
| 2019 | #1,780 | 115 | 0.0069% |
| 2018 | #1,958 | 101 | 0.0059% |
| 2017 | #2,211 | 86 | 0.0050% |
| 2016 | #2,259 | 85 | 0.0048% |
| 2015 | #2,867 | 61 | 0.0034% |
| 2014 | #3,351 | 48 | 0.0027% |
| 2013 | #3,349 | 48 | 0.0027% |
| 2012 | #3,152 | 53 | 0.0030% |
| 2011 | #4,196 | 35 | 0.0020% |
| 2010 | #5,714 | 24 | 0.0014% |
| 2009 | #4,152 | 37 | 0.0020% |
| 2008 | #5,085 | 29 | 0.0015% |
| 2007 | #4,754 | 31 | 0.0016% |
| 2006 | #4,049 | 37 | 0.0019% |
| 2005 | #4,322 | 32 | 0.0017% |
| 2004 | #5,013 | 26 | 0.0014% |
| 2003 | #5,942 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 2002 | #4,138 | 31 | 0.0017% |
| 2001 | #3,992 | 32 | 0.0018% |
| 2000 | #5,244 | 22 | 0.0012% |
| 1999 | #4,251 | 27 | 0.0015% |
| 1998 | #4,728 | 23 | 0.0013% |
| 1997 | #5,323 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 1996 | #14,795 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1994 | #14,715 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1991 | #8,330 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1990 | #10,865 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1989 | #10,342 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1988 | #12,951 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1987 | #12,355 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1986 | #6,895 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1985 | #7,292 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1984 | #11,363 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1983 | #11,195 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1981 | #11,315 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1980 | #9,747 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1979 | #6,456 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1977 | #9,090 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1974 | #9,522 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1972 | #7,778 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1962 | #7,098 | 5 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Lavender Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You always bring to completion anything you start. You are generous but like to see returns from your giving. You have an executive ability, you are a leader. You are moral, balanced, honest and intellectual, and you may attain spirituality. You are wise and practical with an appreciation of beauty. You always think before you act. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You desire to inspire and lead, to control other's affairs. You are giving, courageous and bold, action oriented,energetic and strong willed. You want to make a difference in the world, and this attitude often attracts you to cultural interests, politics, social issues, and the cultivation of your creative talents.
✦ Lavender's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Lavender's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.