boy's name
Lowell
LOH-ul
- Origin French
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 41,901
Ireland
#346
1984 births
Lowell means little wolf, and it is Norman French rather than English — louvel is a diminutive of loup, so the name is affectionate about an animal most cultures feared. Wolf names were admiring across Europe rather than fearful.
- Lowell is a name of French origin.
- Peaked in 1931, when 1,100 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 92,098 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1881.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Lowell over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 80 |
| 1890s | 230 |
| 1900s | 446 |
| 1910s | 3,965 |
| 1920s | 7,355 |
| 1930s | 9,726 |
| 1940s | 7,370 |
| 1950s | 4,939 |
| 1960s | 3,374 |
| 1970s | 1,532 |
| 1980s | 998 |
| 1990s | 669 |
| 2000s | 382 |
| 2010s | 389 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 222 |
What Lowell means
Lowell means a little wolf, or wolf cub. The Norman French diminutive makes the animal affectionate rather than threatening, which was ordinary in medieval bynames.
Where Lowell comes from
Lowell is the Norman French louvel, a diminutive of lou or loup, a wolf, from the Latin lupus. Wolf names were admiring across Europe rather than fearful — Randolph, Rudolph and Adolf all carry the Germanic wulf. Lowell became an English surname and then a New England given name; Lowell, Massachusetts is named for Francis Cabot Lowell, whose mills founded the American textile industry.
Lowell in use
Lowell peaked in the United States in 1931, when 1,100 babies were registered, and our data marks it stable rather than falling. It charts in exactly one of the six markets we track, at 3262nd in the United States on 36 births, across 41,901 lifetime births. Our records carry it from 1881, and England and Wales shows only a handful of births in any year.
How popular is Lowell?
In 2025, Lowell was given to 36 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Lowell is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Lowell
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Lowell also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Lowell over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Lowell 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.
- Other forms
- Forms we hold no single language for — some are used across several, some are simply spelled differently.
- Lovell
Sibling names for Lowell
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Lowell — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Lowell
What does the name Lowell mean?
Little wolf — the Norman French louvel, a diminutive of loup.
Were wolf names admiring?
Yes, across Europe. Randolph, Rudolph and Adolf all carry the Germanic wulf.
Is Lowell, Massachusetts named for it?
For Francis Cabot Lowell, whose mills founded the American textile industry.
How popular is Lowell?
3262nd in the United States, and stable rather than falling in our data.
Is Lowell a girl's or a boy's name?
Lowell is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Lowell?
Lowell has 2 syllables.
Is Lowell a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Lowell currently ranks #3,262 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.