Louise

Meaning: Famous in battle
Origin: Germanic — French feminine form of Louis

Nicknames: Lou, Louie, Lulu, Lolly

Girl's name · #516 in the US (2025) · Comeback

Popularity over time

Louise was #17 in 1912, slipped to #2160 by 2006, and has climbed back to #516 today. About 336,000 girls have carried it since 1880. In all that time it has never once missed a year of the national records.

Across the states

See where Louise is more common.

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 34 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Around the world

Louise is especially popular in France and Belgium.

#1 in France (2025) · #3 in Belgium (2025) · #59 in Norway (2025) · #86 in Switzerland (2025) · #125 in Netherlands (2025) · #213 in Ireland (2025) · #249 in Canada (2025) · #283 in Sweden (2025) · #334 in N. Ireland (2025) · #454 in Austria (2025) · #816 in England & Wales (2025) · #829 in Poland (2025) and 7 more.

Famous Louises

Louise Glück — American poet and Nobel laureate (1943–2023)
Louise Fletcher — American actress (1934–2022)
Louise Michel — French anarchist (1830–1905)
Louise Bourgeois — French-American artist (1911–2010)
Louise Labé — French poet (1524–1566)
Louise Brooks — American actress (1906–1985)
Louise Mountbatten — Queen of Sweden from 1950 to 1965 (1889–1965)
Louise Brown — First person conceived by IVF (born 1978)
Louise of Hesse-Kassel — Queen of Denmark from 1863 to 1898 (1817–1898)
Louise Brealey — British actress (born 1979)

In stories & tradition

Louise (Killer Frost) — Fictional character from DC Comics
Louise Jefferson — The Jeffersons (TV series)
Louise Raymond — Fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders

What Louises become

Among 2,713 notable people named Louise:

Artists & writers appear 1.71× more often than among typical names — e.g. Louise Glück, American poet and Nobel laureate (1943–2023).

Spellings & nicknames

About 64 girls a year are given Lou as their full name.

Similar names: Louisa · Beatrice · Lorraine · Elouise · Maxine · Estelle

Browse more girl names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

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