Louise
Louise and Luise are, respectively, French and German feminine forms of the given name Louis. Louise has been regularly used as a female name in English-speaking countries since the middle of the 19th century. It has ranked among the top 100 names given to girls in France, England, Ireland, Scotland, Sweden and Wales in recent years.
- French
- English
- Danish
- Swedish
Meaning & Origin of Louise
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Louise and Luise are, respectively, French and German feminine forms of the given name Louis. Louise has been regularly used as a female name in English-speaking countries since the middle of the 19th century. It has ranked among the top 100 names given to girls in France, England, Ireland, Scotland, Sweden and Wales in recent years.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- French
- English
- Danish
- Swedish
- Norwegian
- Dutch
- German
The Story of Louise
American parents first put Louise on the record books as a baby girl name in 1880, with 635 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1921, when 9,180 Louises were born — ranking #22 that year. About 25% of every Louise on record arrived during the 1920s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Louise ranks #528 for baby girls with 578 births, rising sharply (+35% over the past five years). All told, over 337K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Louise
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Louise. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Louise
Phonetically similar names — useful when Louise 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 Louise
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In which U.S. states is Louise most popular?
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About the name Louise
Louise is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 337K births in the dataset. Louise's peak popularity came in 1921 when it ranked #17. Use the chart and map above to compare Louise's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1921 →
- Names of the 1920s →
- Names starting with "L" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.