Meaning and background
The story behind Lorelei
Lorelei comes from the name of the Loreley rock headland on the Rhine. The reference treats the full meaning as uncertain, although a rock element is considered likely, and describes the later poetic figure whose song lures boaters. That story should not become a literal translation of enchantress or singer. For a dog, Lorelei offers a long literary and geographical association. Keep the ei spelling if that is your choice, rather than automatically replacing it with the television-associated variant Lorelai.
- Origin
- From Loreley, the Rhine rock headland; the full place-name meaning is uncertain. Source
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About Lorelei
Recorded as a dog’s name
Lorelei appears in 3 dog licence records in the 2022 New York City dataset.
How to read this count
These records cover New York City and may count the same dog in more than one licence period. They are not a national popularity ranking.
Pronunciation and rhythm
/lɔɹɪlaɪ/
US English sound sequence, converted from the CMU dictionary. Stress marks are shown separately.
Stress on the first syllable in the recorded US readings.
View dictionary notation
/lɔɹɪlaɪ/ · primary stress on syllable 1L AO1 R IH0 L AY2
These are US dictionary readings. Personal, regional and other language pronunciations may differ.
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Sources and research notes (2)
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene NYC Dog Licensing Dataset — all seven available extract years, retrieved 24 October 2026 — Recorded name spellings in NYC licence-period rows, extract years 2016–2018, 2022–2024 and 2026. Evidence selects one stated year per name. Annual snapshots overlap; never sum them as unique dogs. No national popularity, etymology or owner naming-intent claim.
- Carnegie Mellon University / CMU Sphinx maintainers CMU US English Pronouncing Dictionary — US English dictionary readings; not owner-specific or exhaustive multilingual pronunciation
References support the individual facts shown. A source link does not mean the entire profile has been verified.