Loretta is a female given name, the masculine version being Lauro. The name derives its name from the laurel tree which is symbolic of victory.^[1][2]

This name is Italian in origin; it was popularized in the United States in the 1930s. It has many variant forms, including Laura, Lora, Loreen, Lorene, Lorinda/Laurinda (English), Lauretta, Loreta, and Loreto (Italian).^[3]

People with this name

• Loretta Bradley (born 1933), American professor
• Loretta de Braose, Countess of Leicester, (c. 1185-c. 1266)
• Loretta Chase (born Loretta Lynda Chekani, 1949), American writer
• Loretta Chen (born 1976), Singaporean theatre director and actor
• Loretta Claiborne, American global speaker who competes in the Special Olympics
• Loretta Devine (born 1949), American actress
• Loretta Doyle (born 1963), British judoka
• Loretta Goggi (born 1950), Italian singer, actress, television host, and dancer
• Loretta King Hadler (1917–2007), American actress
• Loretta Harrop (born 1975), Australian triathlete
• Loretta Huber, American poker player, World Series of Poker champion 1988
• Loretta Jafelice, American voice actress
• Loretta Kelley, American fiddle player
• Loretta Long (born 1940), American actress
• Loretta Lux (born 1969), German fine art photographer working in Ireland
• Loretta Lynch (born 1959), Attorney General of the United States
• Loretta Lynn (born Loretta Webb; 1932–2022), American singer-songwriter
• Loretta McNeil (1907–1988), American athlete
• Loretta Nall, founder of the United States Marijuana Party
• Loretta Napoleoni (born 1955), Italian economist
• Loretta A. Preska (born 1949), American judge
• Loretta Petit, American radio personality
• Marion Loretta Reid (1929–2023), Canadian politician
• Loretta Sanchez (born 1960), U.S. Representative
• Loretta Ables Sayre (born 1958), American actress and singer
• Loretta Schafer (1917–1998), American nun
• Loretta Schrijver (born 1956), Dutch television host
• Loretta Schwartz-Nobel, American journalist
• Loretta Spencer, American politician, former mayor of Huntsville, Alabama
• Loretta Swit (born 1937), American actress
• Loretta Tofani (born 1953), American journalist
• Loretta Clemens Tupper (1906–1990), American singer
• Loretta Ucelli, American management advisor who served as Assistant to the President and Director of White House
• Loretta Perfectus Walsh (1896–1925), first American active-duty Navy woman
• Loretta Weinberg (born 1935), American politician
• Loretta Yang, performing artist in the Taiwan cinema
• Loretta Young (1913–2000), American actress

Fictional characters

• Loretta, formerly Stan, in the film Monty Python's Life of Brian
• Loretta Brown in the American animated show Family Guy
• Loretta Callisto in the American animated show Miles from Tomorrowland
• Loretta Jones in the British soap opera Hollyoaks
• Loretta Tortelli in the American television show Cheers
• Loretta Wade in the American television show NCIS: New Orleans