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At a Glance: Name: Lloyd – Meaning: grey, or grey-haired – Origin: Welsh (surname) – Gender: used for both boys and girls – Pronunciation: LOYD
Lloyd began as a Welsh surname before it became a first name, and it comes from the word llwyd, meaning 'grey' or 'grey-haired' — originally a nickname for someone with grey hair. You may have heard that Lloyd means 'sacred,' but that claim doesn't hold up; the documented root is llwyd, not anything tied to sacredness. If you're drawn to a name with a plain, literal Welsh meaning rather than a symbolic one, Lloyd fits that bill.
Meaning & Origin of Lloyd
Meaning: Grey, or grey-haired.
Origin: Welsh (surname).
A common claim: Lloyd is sometimes said to mean 'sacred.' Actually: Lloyd comes from Welsh llwyd, meaning 'grey' or 'grey-haired' — originally a nickname for someone with grey hair.
Source: Wiktionary.
How to Pronounce Lloyd
Phonetic: LOYD IPA: /lɔɪd/
Popularity of Lloyd
Lloyd peaked at #51 in 1918, when 3,742 baby boys were given the name, but by 2024 it had dropped all the way to #1766 with just 93 boys named Lloyd — a long, steady decline across the SSA's full 1880-2024 record.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1880–2024.
Make Lloyd Name Art
Free printable nursery art for Lloyd, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.
Names With a Similar Story
Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.
FAQ
What does the name Lloyd mean?
Grey, or grey-haired. (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Lloyd)
How do you pronounce Lloyd?
Lloyd is pronounced LOYD (IPA: /lɔɪd/).
Is Lloyd a popular name right now?
Lloyd peaked at #51 in 1918 and is ranked #1766 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1880–2024.)
📊 How popular is Lloyd? See the full popularity history, trend data, and ranking since 1880 with our free Baby Name Popularity Checker.
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