Lori is a 20th-century American diminutive of Laura / Lorraine — from the Latin laurus (laurel, the victor's crown). A top-25 US baby name from 1963 to 1972, peaking at #16 in 1965. Lori Lightfoot (born 1962) — first Black female and first openly gay mayor of Chicago (2019-2023), the largest US city to elect a Black woman mayor. Lori Greiner (born 1969) — American inventor and Shark Tank investor; over 600 patents and trademarks; the "Queen of QVC." Lori Loughlin (born 1964) — American actress; Full House. Lori Singer (born 1957) — American actress and cellist; Footloose (1984).
Featured throughout late-20th-century American media.
In Pythagorean numerology the letters of Lori reduce to 9, The Giver. This is a traditional interpretive system, not a factual claim about the name.