Loretta
Meaning of Loretta
Loretta twirls onto the scene with a scent of bay laurel—her Latin root, laurus, once woven into victory crowns—so she carries a whisper of triumph in every syllable. First heard in medieval Italy and lovingly spread by pilgrims to the shrine of Loreto, the name later sashayed into American jukebox history with country legend Loretta Lynn and lit up Hollywood marquee lights thanks to actress Loretta Devine. Though her chart journey peaked mid-20th century, recent upticks hint that parents are rediscovering this vintage gem, polishing it like a family heirloom for modern days. Warm, melodic, and just a bit playful, Loretta invites a little “olé!” into everyday life—proof that a classic can still feel fresh as a laurel branch waving in the breeze.
Pronunciation
English
- Pronunced as luh-RET-uh (/ləˈrɛtə/)
U.S. Popularity Chart
States Popularity Chart
Notable People Named Loretta
| Loretta Lynn was an American country music legend with a six-decade career, known for hits like "Coal Miner's Daughter" and the biographical film about her life. |
| Loretta Young was an acclaimed American actress with a long career and numerous honors, including an Academy Award and multiple Emmy Awards. |
| Loretta Jane Swit is an American actress best known for playing Major Margaret Houlihan on MASH, earning Emmy nominations every season and winning twice in 1980 and 1982. |
| Loretta Devine is an American actress celebrated for her Emmy-winning role in Grey's Anatomy and performances in Dreamgirls and Waiting to Exhale. |
| Loretta Perfectus Walsh was the first American woman to serve in the U.S. Armed Forces in a non-nursing role and the first female petty officer in the Naval Reserve. |
| Loretta Claiborne is a Special Olympics athlete and global speaker who received the 1996 Arthur Ashe ESPY Courage Award and was the first athlete elected to the Special Olympics International Board of Directors. |
| Loretta Lee was a celebrated American singer who performed during the early to mid-1900s. |
| Loretta Nall founded the U.S. Marijuana Party to advocate for cannabis legalization and ran as a write-in candidate for Alabama governor in 2006. |
| Loretta de Braose, Countess of Leicester, was one of at least nine children of William de Braose and Maud de St. Valery who survived into adulthood. |
| Loretta Anne Rogers was a Canadian businesswoman, philanthropist, and director of Rogers Communications who was married to founder Ted Rogers and had a net worth of US$5.5 billion in 2015. |
| Loretta Ucelli - Loretta M. Ucelli served as White House Communications Director under President Bill Clinton and is now Executive Vice President of Strategy and Communications at the Peter G. Peterson Foundation. |
| Loretta Hogan Rush has served as chief justice of the Indiana Supreme Court since 2014 after joining the court as an associate justice in 2012. |
| Loretta Braxton - Loretta Marion Murray Braxton was an American mathematician who led the mathematics department at Virginia State University for many years. |
| Loretta Dunkelman is a New York City-based American artist who earned her Bachelor's in Art from Rutgers University in 1958 and her Master's from Hunter College in 1966. |
| Loretta King Hadler was an American actress famed for her brief career and work with director Ed Wood. |
