Lou
- Gender
- Mostly girls
- Say it
- LOO
- Origin
- Germanic
- UK rank, 2025
- #5,990 for girls
- US rank, 2025
- #1,919 for boys
Lou is a name of Germanic origin, meaning “famous in battle”. In 2025 it ranked 5,990th for girls in the UK (3 babies) and 1,919th for boys in the US (81 babies).
What does Lou mean?
Germanic: short form of Louis or Louise
“famous in battle”
A short form of Louis and Louise, from the Germanic name Hludwig, 'famous battle'.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Lou a girl's or a boy's name?
In recent years, Lou has been given to girls and boys, mostly girls. In 2025, it was given to 3 girls and 4 boys in the UK and 65 girls and 81 boys in the US.
How popular is Lou in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #5,990among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 3about 1 in 93,000 girls
- Five-year trend
- Steadydown 23% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 3 girls in the UK were named Lou, making it the 5,990th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 5,734th. Its busiest year was 2018, with 10 girls. 4 boys were also named Lou in 2025 (4,301st for boys).
Half of all the girls named Lou in the UK since 1996 were born between 2010 and 2021, the years shaded on the chart below.
Among girls in 2025, it was 5,925th in England and Wales.
Lou in the UK, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3 | #5,990 |
| 2024 | 4 | #4,907 |
| 2023 | 3 | #5,929 |
| 2022 | 4 | #4,870 |
| 2021 | 3 | #5,824 |
| 2020 | 3 | #5,734 |
| 2019 | 0 | – |
| 2018 | 10 | #2,631 |
| 2017 | 5 | #4,250 |
| 2016 | 0 | – |
| 2015 | 4 | #4,951 |
| 2014 | 8 | #3,031 |
| 2013 | 0 | – |
| 2012 | 0 | – |
| 2011 | 0 | – |
| 2010 | 5 | #4,220 |
| 2009 | 3 | #5,801 |
| 2008 | 0 | – |
| 2007 | 0 | – |
| 2006 | 0 | – |
| 2005 | 0 | – |
| 2004 | 1 | #6,173 |
| 2003 | 6 | #2,877 |
| 2002 | 3 | #4,284 |
How popular is Lou in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #1,919among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 81about 1 in 21,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Risingup 68% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 81 boys in the US were named Lou, making it the 1,919th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 2,322nd. 65 girls were also named Lou in 2025 (2,645th for girls).
2025 had the most boys named Lou of any year since the records began in 1880.
Half of all the boys named Lou in the US since 1880 were born between 1932 and 1991, the years shaded on the chart below.
Girls were 90% of the babies named Lou in the US in 1880, and 45% in 2025.
Lou in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 81 | #1,919 |
| 2024 | 70 | #2,120 |
| 2023 | 74 | #2,031 |
| 2022 | 76 | #1,999 |
| 2021 | 61 | #2,276 |
| 2020 | 58 | #2,322 |
| 2019 | 44 | #2,807 |
| 2018 | 32 | #3,442 |
| 2017 | 37 | #3,122 |
| 2016 | 45 | #2,688 |
| 2015 | 38 | #3,021 |
| 2014 | 27 | #3,784 |
| 2013 | 24 | #4,062 |
| 2012 | 18 | #5,030 |
| 2011 | 27 | #3,790 |
| 2010 | 16 | #5,475 |
| 2009 | 22 | #4,427 |
| 2008 | 13 | #6,388 |
| 2007 | 13 | #6,259 |
| 2006 | 20 | #4,516 |
| 2005 | 21 | #4,193 |
| 2004 | 16 | #5,002 |
| 2003 | 10 | #6,708 |
| 2002 | 13 | #5,388 |
| 2001 | 20 | #3,968 |
| 2000 | 11 | #5,913 |
| 1999 | 8 | #7,132 |
| 1998 | 11 | #5,460 |
| 1997 | 14 | #4,446 |
| 1996 | 14 | #4,390 |
| 1995 | 13 | #4,502 |
| 1994 | 20 | #3,320 |
| 1993 | 14 | #4,220 |
| 1992 | 19 | #3,331 |
| 1991 | 24 | #2,747 |
| 1990 | 24 | #2,689 |
| 1989 | 18 | #3,199 |
| 1988 | 10 | #4,445 |
| 1987 | 16 | #3,068 |
| 1986 | 11 | #3,878 |
| 1985 | 19 | #2,596 |
| 1984 | 19 | #2,528 |
| 1983 | 13 | #3,229 |
| 1982 | 22 | #2,268 |
| 1981 | 16 | #2,777 |
| 1980 | 23 | #2,213 |
| 1979 | 25 | #2,048 |
| 1978 | 25 | #1,965 |
| 1977 | 17 | #2,555 |
| 1976 | 20 | #2,244 |
| 1975 | 21 | #2,133 |
| 1974 | 19 | #2,197 |
| 1973 | 29 | #1,612 |
| 1972 | 25 | #1,771 |
| 1971 | 38 | #1,378 |
| 1970 | 40 | #1,313 |
| 1969 | 29 | #1,492 |
| 1968 | 32 | #1,366 |
| 1967 | 29 | #1,410 |
| 1966 | 39 | #1,193 |
| 1965 | 33 | #1,334 |
| 1964 | 48 | #1,095 |
| 1963 | 38 | #1,254 |
| 1962 | 47 | #1,120 |
| 1961 | 54 | #1,058 |
| 1960 | 64 | #943 |
| 1959 | 57 | #1,018 |
| 1958 | 67 | #927 |
| 1957 | 72 | #888 |
| 1956 | 54 | #1,018 |
| 1955 | 49 | #1,074 |
| 1954 | 52 | #1,038 |
| 1953 | 36 | #1,244 |
| 1952 | 40 | #1,165 |
| 1951 | 55 | #942 |
| 1950 | 31 | #1,288 |
| 1949 | 35 | #1,204 |
| 1948 | 39 | #1,144 |
| 1947 | 56 | #937 |
| 1946 | 47 | #980 |
| 1945 | 48 | #927 |
| 1944 | 38 | #1,070 |
| 1943 | 39 | #1,088 |
| 1942 | 47 | #970 |
| 1941 | 39 | #1,040 |
| 1940 | 39 | #1,031 |
| 1939 | 47 | #904 |
| 1938 | 30 | #1,199 |
| 1937 | 26 | #1,313 |
| 1936 | 26 | #1,296 |
| 1935 | 29 | #1,247 |
| 1934 | 24 | #1,386 |
| 1933 | 38 | #1,051 |
| 1932 | 45 | #980 |
| 1931 | 40 | #1,065 |
| 1930 | 28 | #1,368 |
| 1929 | 28 | #1,339 |
| 1928 | 44 | #1,041 |
| 1927 | 37 | #1,178 |
| 1926 | 29 | #1,353 |
| 1925 | 41 | #1,091 |
| 1924 | 37 | #1,187 |
| 1923 | 35 | #1,213 |
| 1922 | 40 | #1,120 |
| 1921 | 28 | #1,412 |
| 1920 | 33 | #1,252 |
| 1919 | 21 | #1,623 |
| 1918 | 31 | #1,256 |
| 1917 | 45 | #964 |
| 1916 | 39 | #1,028 |
| 1915 | 31 | #1,159 |
| 1914 | 38 | #884 |
| 1913 | 17 | #1,256 |
| 1912 | 22 | #970 |
| 1911 | 9 | #1,189 |
| 1910 | 18 | #707 |
| 1909 | 0 | – |
| 1908 | 15 | #685 |
| 1907 | 12 | #778 |
| 1906 | 0 | – |
| 1905 | 13 | #666 |
| 1904 | 7 | #966 |
| 1903 | 11 | #696 |
| 1902 | 6 | #1,012 |
| 1901 | 7 | #857 |
| 1900 | 13 | #698 |
| 1899 | 13 | #548 |
| 1898 | 10 | #700 |
| 1897 | 13 | #584 |
| 1896 | 10 | #722 |
| 1895 | 9 | #738 |
| 1894 | 12 | #594 |
| 1893 | 10 | #650 |
| 1892 | 9 | #747 |
| 1891 | 8 | #699 |
| 1890 | 9 | #667 |
| 1889 | 17 | #446 |
| 1888 | 10 | #648 |
| 1887 | 10 | #583 |
| 1886 | 9 | #647 |
| 1885 | 13 | #521 |
| 1884 | 10 | #613 |
| 1883 | 11 | #556 |
| 1882 | 10 | #611 |
| 1881 | 15 | #442 |
| 1880 | 14 | #482 |
Names like Lou
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Lottie Ada Etta Harriet Hattie Rose Florence Millie Elsie Rosie Matilda Alice
Names related to Lou
More Germanic names
Amelia Liam Henry Charlotte William Archie Charlie Emma Freddie Ella Harry Albie Miles Myles Charles Avery
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Lou: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/lou, updated 20 October 2026.