[1][2][3] The name Laura is the feminized form of laurus, Latin for "bay laurel plant", which in the Greco-Roman era was used as a symbol of victory, honor or fame.

The name Daphne, derived from Ancient Greek, carries the same meaning.

In British North America, the name Laura reached 17th most popular in 1880 and 1882, but dropped to #43 in 1899.

It was among the top 50 names for female newborns for much of the early 20th century in the United States, but dropped to No.

In 2009 it ranked within the top 10 in Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Greenland, Luxembourg, Spain, and Switzerland.