Lorelei

Meaning of Lorelei

Lorelei (LOHR-uh-lie in English) drifts into the nursery on a mist-cool German breeze, her roots anchored in the old Rhine legend of a siren whose song—much like a Bollywood playback track—could stop sailors in their tracks. The name is woven from Middle High German words meaning “murmuring” or “luring” plus “rock,” so it carries the quiet power of water meeting stone, equal parts melody and strength. Pop-culture keeps her voice humming—from Heinrich Heine’s haunting poem to Lorelai Gilmore’s rapid-fire wit—yet the charm feels timeless: in the United States she has hovered around the Top 500 since 2010, peaking at a warm 402 in 2024, proof that parents still hear her call. While the original Lorelei may have led ships astray, today’s little Loreleis are more likely to lure grandparents toward the camera roll or Nani to the toy store, and that’s a danger everyone can live with.