Lorelai

Lorelai is a different spelling variation on Lorelei (mostly used by Americans). The traditional spelling is Lorelei, a name with two theorized etymologies. First, it’s the combination of an Old German word “lureln” meaning “murmuring” plus a Celtic word “ley” meaning “rock”. Second, it could be derived from the Germanic "lauern" (meaning “to lurk or lie in wait”) along with the aforementioned Celtic word for rock. Therefore, the name either means “murmuring rock” or “lurking rock”. Lorelei (or Loreley) is the name of a rock positioned on the banks of the Rhine, a European river flowing from Switzerland to the North Sea. The Lorelei rock is located at the narrowest point of the river and is therefore subjected to strong currents and rocky conditions which have caused scores of maritime accidents (the heavy currents create the “murmuring” sound owing to the rock’s name). As such, various legends concerning the dangerous rock have sprung up around Lorelei by German poets (see the name Lorelei for more information). The name Lorelei was also made famous by American author Anita Loos in her jazz-age novel “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” (1925). Again, see Lorelei for more information on this literary reference. The spelling of Lorelai garnered notice due to the American comedy-drama TV show “The Gilmore Girls” featuring three generations of women who spelled their names Lorelai.