Lou
A unisex given name. A diminutive of the male given name Louis.
Every Lou since 1880 — 38,198 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Lou
Lou is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #2,674 in 2025 with 65 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 38,198 American babies have been named Lou — about 89% girls and 11% boys, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 1954, when 1,547 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1950s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Lou stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Lou year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 65 | #2,674 | 81 | #1,929 |
| 2024 | 71 | #2,521 | 70 | #2,125 |
| 2023 | 69 | #2,575 | 74 | #2,040 |
| 2022 | 62 | #2,772 | 76 | #2,013 |
| 2021 | 54 | #3,053 | 61 | #2,290 |
| 2020 | 43 | #3,527 | 58 | #2,340 |
| 2019 | 40 | #3,760 | 44 | #2,836 |
| 2018 | 39 | #3,823 | 32 | #3,488 |
| 2017 | 30 | #4,652 | 37 | #3,167 |
| 2016 | 35 | #4,208 | 45 | #2,710 |
| 2015 | 29 | #4,808 | 38 | #3,060 |
| 2014 | 22 | #5,909 | 27 | #3,854 |
| 2013 | 15 | #8,014 | 24 | #4,136 |
| 2012 | 18 | #7,045 | 18 | #5,169 |
| 2011 | 16 | #7,655 | 27 | #3,855 |
| 2010 | 11 | #10,203 | 16 | #5,633 |
| 2009 | 5 | #19,031 | 22 | #4,526 |
| 2008 | 6 | #16,659 | 13 | #6,632 |
| 2007 | 6 | #16,741 | 13 | #6,484 |
| 2006 | 9 | #12,018 | 20 | #4,619 |
| 2005 | 14 | #8,157 | 21 | #4,281 |
| 2004 | 10 | #10,380 | 16 | #5,158 |
| 2003 | 10 | #10,122 | 10 | #7,044 |
| 2002 | 8 | #11,742 | 13 | #5,604 |
| 2001 | 8 | #11,606 | 20 | #4,056 |
| 2000 | 9 | #10,391 | 11 | #6,169 |
| 1995 | — | — | 13 | #4,695 |
| 1990 | 12 | #7,138 | 24 | #2,747 |
| 1985 | 12 | #5,886 | 19 | #2,661 |
| 1980 | 19 | #4,079 | 23 | #2,257 |
| 1975 | 49 | #1,864 | 21 | #2,176 |
| 1970 | 159 | #849 | 40 | #1,326 |
| 1965 | 225 | #657 | 33 | #1,350 |
| 1960 | 593 | #389 | 64 | #949 |
| 1955 | 1,225 | #232 | 49 | #1,081 |
| 1950 | 414 | #395 | 31 | #1,306 |
| 1945 | 399 | #341 | 48 | #934 |
| 1940 | 494 | #281 | 39 | #1,043 |
| 1935 | 522 | #269 | 29 | #1,266 |
| 1930 | 468 | #306 | 28 | #1,383 |
| 1925 | 395 | #338 | 41 | #1,101 |
| 1920 | 336 | #357 | 33 | #1,267 |
| 1915 | 285 | #354 | 31 | #1,175 |
| 1910 | 144 | #318 | 18 | #723 |
| 1905 | 143 | #276 | 13 | #688 |
| 1900 | 140 | #275 | 13 | #718 |
| 1895 | 125 | #253 | 9 | #774 |
| 1890 | 132 | #210 | 9 | #710 |
| 1885 | 135 | #158 | 13 | #537 |
| 1880 | 131 | #125 | 14 | #492 |
Famous people named Lou
- Lou Andreas-Salomé Writer · 1861–1937
- Lou Reed Musician · 1942–2013
- Lou Ferrigno Actor · b. 1951
- Lou Gehrig Baseball player · 1903–1941
- Lou Thesz Wrestler · 1916–2002
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Lou mean?
A unisex given name. A diminutive of the male given name Louis.
How popular is the name Lou in 2025?
Lou ranked #2,674 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 65 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Lou?
38,198 babies have been named Lou in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Lou most popular?
Lou peaked in 1954, when 1,547 newborns received the name.
Is Lou a boy or girl name?
Lou is used for both: about 89% of babies named Lou have been girls and 11% boys.
Is the name Lou rising or falling?
Lou is on the rise — noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Lou?
Well-known people named Lou include Lou Andreas-Salomé (writer), Lou Reed (musician), Lou Ferrigno (actor).