French surname. From the Latin laurus, meaning “laurel tree”.The surname of the first bishop of the Roman Catholic diocese of Dubuque, Iowa, USA (Jean Mathias Pierre Loras). Also the name of a Roman Catholic college in the city of Dubuque. A somewhat common name for boys in that area of the USA in the 19th and 20th centuries. Loras Tyrell is a gay character in George RR Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire book series, and he is also featured in the HBO tv series based on the books, Game of Thrones. Martin spent three years living and teaching in Dubuque, Iowa, so it is likely that Ser Loras owes his name to the Catholic bishop.