Tuesday, July 8, 2008
find out what your name means at ..http://www.behindthename.com
Behind the Name
the etymology and history of first names
Login Register
Search
View Name: Laura
LAURA
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Finnish, Estonian, Hungarian, Polish, Slovene, Scandinavian, German, Dutch
Pronounced: LAWR-ə (English), LOW-rah (Spanish, Italian, Polish, German, Dutch) [key]
Feminine form of the Late Latin name Laurus, which meant "laurel". This meaning was favourable, since in ancient Rome the leaves of laurel trees were used to create victors' garlands. The name was borne by the 9th-century Spanish martyr Saint Laura, who was a nun thrown into a vat of molten lead by the Moors. It was also the name of the subject of poems by the 14th-century Italian poet Petrarch.
As an English name, Laura has been used since the 13th century. A famous bearer was Laura Secord (1775-1868), a Canadian heroine during the War of 181