girl's name
Lula
LOO-luh
- Origin English
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 4
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 86,609
Scotland
#731
2022 births
Lula has no single parent — it shortens Louise, Lucille and Tallulah alike, and our data marks it reviving, ranking 1306th in England and Wales against 1938th in the United States. It holds 86,554 lifetime births in our records.
- Lula is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in 1924, when 1,792 babies were given the name.
- After peaking in the 1920s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
- Today about 1 in 33,154 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Lula 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 | 8,887 |
| 1890s | 10,266 |
| 1900s | 9,544 |
| 1910s | 13,983 |
| 1920s | 16,425 |
| 1930s | 11,159 |
| 1940s | 7,369 |
| 1950s | 3,819 |
| 1960s | 1,373 |
| 1970s | 501 |
| 1980s | 210 |
| 1990s | 116 |
| 2000s | 290 |
| 2010s | 976 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 669 |
What Lula means
Lula has no established meaning of its own. It serves as a short form of several unrelated names, so the sense depends entirely on which one a family intended.
Where Lula comes from
Lula is a pet form without a fixed parent: Louise, giving famous in battle from the Germanic; Lucille, giving light from the Latin lux; and Tallulah, a Choctaw place name, all produce it. It also stands alone, particularly in the American South. The Brazilian president known as Lula was born Luiz and added the nickname to his legal name in 1982, which is a rare case of a pet form being formally adopted by its bearer.
Lula in use
Lula peaked in the United States in 1924, when 1,792 babies were registered, and our data marks it reviving. It now ranks 1306th in England and Wales on 25 births, 1938th in the United States on 89 and 7038th in France, across 86,609 lifetime births in four of the seven markets we track. England ranks it above America, which is unusual for a name most associated with the American South.
How popular is Lula?
In 2025, Lula was given to 100 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Lula 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 Lula
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Lula also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Lula over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Lula 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 Lula
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Lula — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Lula
What does the name Lula mean?
Nothing on its own. It shortens Louise, Lucille and Tallulah, which are unrelated.
Is Lula a real name?
It stands alone in its own right, particularly in the American South.
Is the Brazilian president's name Lula?
He was born Luiz and added the nickname to his legal name in 1982.
Is Lula coming back?
Our data marks it reviving, at 1306th in England and Wales.
How popular is the name Lula?
In 2025, Lula was given to 100 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Is Lula a girl's or a boy's name?
Lula is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Lula?
Lula has 2 syllables.
When was Lula most popular?
Lula peaked in 1924, when 1,792 babies were given the name. After peaking in the 1920s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
Is Lula a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Lula currently ranks #1,306 in the United States. After peaking in the 1920s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.