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Loredana

Loredana (lor-eh-dah-nah) is a sweet Italian girl's name meaning "laurel grove." Have you ever seen a laurel grove? They're pretty.

This literary baby name may have been invented by Italian novelist Luciano Zuccioli for "L'Amore de Loredana" (1908) as a spin on the Italian surname Loredan, though a few Laur- and Lor- names already existed, so it would be similar to "inventing" Mirabeau or Gwendolena. Others say George Sand invented it for her 1833 novel "Mattea." Similar in sound is the Madonna di Loreto's title, Loretana, "woods of the laurel." And because of Madonna di Loreto the name Loredana is considered a saint name. Her name day is December 10th.

There are a few pop culture references from Romania and Italy - multiple several actresses and pop stars, and a noblewoman named Loredana Marcello, the Dogaressa (Italian duchess) of Venice born in 1572, who was a writer and botanist, and she was regarded a scholar, which was exceptional for the time.

Loredana has been used in the U.S. since at least 1959, starting with only 5 births per year and rising to no more than 12. The last recorded year of use was 2001, making it a very rare name. Besides Italy, the name is also used in Romania.
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