Loretta is an Italian diminutive that is usually linked to Laura and the Latin laurus, "laurel", the tree whose leaves crowned victors in ancient Rome; it is also connected to Loreto, the Italian pilgrimage town. The country singer Loretta Lynn is its most beloved American bearer. A favorite of the 1930s, Loretta was out of the top 1000 for years, returned in 2020 and climbed to number 606 in 2025, its best rank in decades.