Lorenzo

How to say it

/ləˈrɛn.zoʊ/

What it means

Italian and Spanish form of Lawrence, from Latin Laurentius ('from Laurentum,' a town named for its laurels). Saint Lawrence and Lorenzo de' Medici both anchor the name in Italian history.

Lorenzo is the Italian and Spanish form of Lawrence, from the Latin Laurentius ('from Laurentum,' a town near Rome whose name comes from laurus, the laurel tree). Saint Lawrence (a 3rd-century Roman deacon martyred on a gridiron — his calm joke 'turn me over, I'm done on this side' is his contribution to martyrology) is the Christian anchor. Lorenzo de' Medici ('Il Magnifico') was the de facto Renaissance ruler of Florence. The Italian Lorenzo has been steady for centuries; the English-language US has used it in earnest since the late 1990s, particularly in Italian-American and Latino families. Enzo is the common short.

Heads-up notes

• Nickname

  Enzo is the universal Italian short and a standalone given name. Larry and Lor also circulate in American usage.

Who's worn it

Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.

• Lorenzo de' Medici 15th-century ruler of Florence, patron of the Italian Renaissance
• Saint Lawrence 3rd-century Christian martyr, deacon of Rome
• Lorenzo Lamas American actor, Falcon Crest and Renegade

Spelling variants

• Lawrence
• Laurent
• Lorenz

Names with the same feeling

• Leonardo Brave lion
• Enzo Ruler of the home, or short for Lorenzo
• Santiago Saint James
• Leo Lion
• Antonio From the Roman Antonii family

See Lorenzo from another angle