Lou
Lou is a unisex given name. For males, it is frequently a short form (hypocorism) of Louis or Lewis, for females of Louise, etc. It may refer to:
Meaning & Origin of Lou
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Lou is a unisex given name. For males, it is frequently a short form (hypocorism) of Louis or Lewis, for females of Louise, etc. It may refer to:
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Lou
As a girl name
Lou first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1880, with 131 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1954, when 1,495 Lous were born — ranking #204 that year. As of 2026, Lou ranks #2,349 for girls with 78 births, rising sharply (+72% over the past five years). In total, more than 34K Lous have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Lou first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1880, with 14 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2026, when 77 Lous were born — ranking #2,014 that year. As of 2026, Lou ranks #2,014 for boys with 77 births, rising sharply (+59% over the past five years). In total, more than 4K Lous have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Lou
Phonetically similar names — useful when Lou is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Lou
What does the name Lou mean?
How popular is Lou in 2026?
When was Lou most popular?
In which U.S. states is Lou most popular?
Is Lou a unisex name?
What names go well with Lou?
About the name Lou
Lou is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 34K births in the dataset. Lou's peak popularity came in 1954 when it ranked #122. Use the chart and map above to compare Lou's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1954 →
- Names of the 1950s →
- Names starting with "L" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.