boy's name
Louis
LOO-ee
- Origin Germanic
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Top 100 (E&W)
- Births on record 1,004,747
the United States
#249
2025 births
Louis is a boy's name of Germanic origin meaning "famous warrior." It comes from the Frankish Hlodowig, combining hlod, fame, with wig, battle, and was borne by eighteen kings of France over eight centuries.
- Louis is a name of Germanic origin.
- Peaked in France in 1920, when 11,595 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade in France.
- Today about 1 in 512 babies in England and Wales is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1900.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Louis over time
Births per decade in France, 1900s to 2020s. Louis is more popular in England and Wales — see the country table below. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1900s | 104,040 |
| 1910s | 86,590 |
| 1920s | 93,730 |
| 1930s | 58,070 |
| 1940s | 30,705 |
| 1950s | 16,430 |
| 1960s | 7,430 |
| 1970s | 3,575 |
| 1980s | 5,510 |
| 1990s | 23,330 |
| 2000s | 44,880 |
| 2010s | 46,945 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 21,035 |
What Louis means
Louis means renowned in battle, or famous warrior. The name promises a reputation earned through fighting rather than describing a quality the bearer already possesses — the fame is the outcome, not the starting point.
Where Louis comes from
Louis descends from the Frankish Hlodowig, from hlod, fame or renown, and wig, war. The name is Latinised as Clovis for the first Frankish king to convert to Christianity in 496, and as Ludovicus thereafter; the German form is Ludwig and the Spanish Luis. Eighteen French kings bore it, including Louis IX, canonised in 1297, whose name is carried by cities on both sides of the Atlantic. In Britain the final s is usually silent, following the French, though American usage often sounds it.
Louis in use
Our data marks Louis as reviving, peaking in 1920, now at 49 in England and Wales against 249 in the United States. Louie, the phonetic spelling, outranks it in Britain at 28 — a rare case of the respelling overtaking the traditional form in its own market.
How popular is Louis?
In 2025, Louis was given to 1,030 babies in England and Wales, ranking #49 that year. It is one of the most popular names in England and Wales.
Where Louis is used
French counts are rounded to the nearest five and nothing below five is published, so these figures show the shape of the name's use rather than an exact tally. Data & sources.
How Louis is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Louïs | Louïs is a rare spelling of Louis, written with a diaeresis and recorded about 110 times, mostly in France. | 110 |
Names that peaked alongside Louis
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Louis also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Louis over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
2 nicknames for Louis
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Louis in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Louis
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Louis — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Louis
What does the name Louis mean?
Louis means "famous warrior," from the Germanic hlod, fame, and wig, battle.
Is the s in Louis silent?
In British and French use, usually yes. American usage often sounds it.
Are Louis and Lewis the same name?
Lewis is the anglicized form of Louis, though it also exists separately as a Scottish surname and place name.
How popular is the name Louis?
In 2025, Louis was given to 1,030 babies in England and Wales, ranking #49 that year. It is one of the most popular names in England and Wales.
Is Louis a girl's or a boy's name?
Louis is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Louis?
Louis has 2 syllables.
When was Louis most popular?
Louis peaked in 1920, when 11,595 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Louis?
Louis is usually shortened to Lou and Louie.
Is Louis a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Louis currently ranks #5 in France. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.