Thoughts on Lorian?

General Name Discussion
1

My husband suggested the name Lorian for our son arriving in a few months and I instantly loved it. I was absolutely shocked when I then went to look it up on Nameberry and saw there’s no entry for it. It doesn’t feel like a made up name to me. I was also very surprised when I then did a broader internet search and saw that Lorian (when it does appear) is typically described as a girls name!

I could use some input as to how this name strikes you – yay or nay? Boy or girl? My husband likes it because he says it feels medieval and royal, and it feels like a very masculine name to me. Would love to hear if others feel the same or if you think it’s more of a girl’s name.

2

Lorian feels woodsy and slightly Celtic to me; archery, perhaps a fantasy world, definitely royal. Though this description is at least partially influenced by Loristan, a name I (apparently) made up for a story character (I thought it was a legitimate name, but no). My immediate association was Lórien, an [name_m]Elven[/name_m] realm from LOTR - it sounds like a version of that to me, though I’m not sure why it would be.

I think I really, really like it. I agree, it feels very masculine, even though it’s a soft sounding name - reminiscent of [name_u]Florian[/name_u], [name_u]Dorian[/name_u], [name_m]Lucian[/name_m], etc., which incidentally feel less male (?).

3

I like it! I would probably think its more feminine just because of the inclination to nn [name_f]Lori[/name_f] or in the form Lorienne which is definitely more feminine, but I think its usable for a boy as well.

4

My first thoughts were the Lorax (“I speak for the trees”) and [name_u]Dorian[/name_u] [name_u]Gray[/name_u]. It does look like it could be feminine, like [name_f]Lorraine[/name_f] (though the ending -ian is more masculine), or a [name_m]Lord[/name_m] of the Rings character, as [name_f]Morning[/name_f] [name_f]Glory[/name_f] mentioned. It’s also a bit like “DeLorean,” as in the car. It’s interesting but seems made-up. [name_u]Florian[/name_u] is a similar, more established name.

5

I honestly thought it was pronounced like [name_f]Lori[/name_f] [name_f]Ann[/name_f] when I first read it, so I assumed it was a girl name.

It reminds me of [name_u]Dorian[/name_u] [name_u]Gray[/name_u], but it does feel a little more feminine and I do think it sounds made up.

6

Lorien is on my list for girl because of the [name_m]Lord[/name_m] of the Rings association. But the -an spelling is more like [name_m]Julian[/name_m], [name_u]Florian[/name_u], [name_u]Dorian[/name_u], [name_m]Lucian[/name_m]… so in that sense, there’s plenty of precedence for it being a boy’s name. It is quite dashing.

Hearing it, though, I would jump to Lorien, simply because that’s what I know.

7

I thought of [name_u]Florian[/name_u] and [name_u]Dorian[/name_u], so while it doesn’t strike me as ultra-masculine, it definitely reads male to me. I think it has a nice sound and I think Lor/[name_f]Lore[/name_f] is a cool nickname.

8

This name is a little girlish.

9

This. I love the name, but I prefer Lorien…

10

I do actually know a girl named Lorian, so it reads feminine to me. That said, it’s so uncommon that I don’t think you really need to worry about people having preconceived ideas about its gender - on sight, it fits the pattern for a number of boys’ names, as others have noted.
If you’re worried, you could use the name Lorien (as others have suggested), or Lorion.

11

I agree with all of this! I like it a lot, I think it’s very cool and interesting. It reminds me of [name_u]Florian[/name_u] and [name_u]Dorian[/name_u] also. I think I may prefer the Lorien spelling (partially because I like the LOTR connection). All around thumbs up from me.

12

Good job doing your homework. You wouldn’t believe how many parents choose a name they like and then are shocked and astonished to find that they picked the #2 most popular name in the country.

Here’s the thing – if Lorian as a boy/girl name is a question now, it’s going to be a question in the future. Part of what you should be realistic about is whether that bothers you, and whether you think it will be a pain for your son.

It does have an entry as a “pop culture” name in a video game, in the masculine – User-submitted name Lorian - Behind the Name

And also here, with claims of being related to various “[name_f]Lori[/name_f]” feminine names, though this source isn’t the most reliable - Lorian - Meaning of Lorian, What does Lorian mean?

LOTR die-hards will wonder if you named him for the [name_m]Elven[/name_m] realm of Loth Lorien. So be prepared for that one.

I also do see the similarity to the “Back to the [name_u]Future[/name_u]” Delorean, which would be a tick against for me, because I just don’t want to think about cars when I call my kids.

I do agree with the comparisons to Lorian to [name_u]Florian[/name_u], [name_u]Dorian[/name_u], [name_m]Julian[/name_m], [name_m]Caspian[/name_m], and so forth, so I think it does fit with those, and this style of name is having a bit of a moment, so that makes it stylish. And, nn [name_f]Lore[/name_f] or [name_u]Lorne[/name_u] would be pretty cool.

I may be a little biased because I once knew a [name_u]Lorne[/name_u], and at first it was easy to mistake the name for [name_f]Lauren[/name_f], and we did think he was going to be a girl… and he was a super cool dude, accomplished drummer, taught percussion. Really awesome guy. So, I can see a cool guy pulling off Lorian, even with a ponytail and drumsticks in his pocket.

Oh, also – don’t spell it Lorion. It looks like it’s supposed to be [name_u]Orion[/name_u] with an L, or L’[name_u]Orion[/name_u], or something. It just confuses things. Lorien is fine, especially if you’re after a LOTR nod, but I think Lorian is fine.

I will point out that a negative to using a “made up name” is that with few existing cultural references, you’re almost at the mercy of the entertainment industry as to whether they are going to come along and ruin it for you. That’s a risk with just about any name, really, but something to be realistic about, particularly with names nobody has heard of before. Plus, name nerds can be kind of snobby on this subject, though the average person really does not care how much “history” a name has.

I give it a thumbs-up… if you’re realistic about weighing the pros and cons and decide that the hassles are worth dealing with.

13

I know someone who named their son Lorien for the [name_m]Lord[/name_m] of the Rings connection, so Lorian makes me think of that and is thus all boy to me. As others have mentioned, there are a number of boys’ names with the -ian ending (as opposed to -ienne which is more feminine), so Lorian wouldn’t be out of place on a boy.

14

Forgot to mention – you also have the option of shortening to [name_m]Ian[/name_m] if you want.

15

I love the name Lorian! It’s definitely a boys name to me but can be used on both. However, it is so uncommon, no one will really question what gender it belongs to.

16

Though I’ve never heard it before, it sounds like the brother of [name_u]Florian[/name_u] and [name_m]Julian[/name_m].

I surprisingly like it! It does sound very noble and valiant.