Girl's name
Louise
Say it loo-EEZ
French origin from Louis, loud; famous + battle
2 syllables
Where Louise is loved, common and rare
Loved in France. Common across Norway and Switzerland. Rare in Canada, four German cities, the Netherlands and seven more places.
1 in 1,056 girls born in Ireland in 2025
France 1stNorway 59thSwitzerland 86th
LovedCommonRare
Every place
In 18 of the 40 official lists, among them France (1st), Norway (59th) and Switzerland (86th).
Show all 18 placesShow less
| Place | Rank | Girls | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | 1st 2025 | 3,075 | 1 in 93 |
| Norway | 59th 2025 | 111 | 1 in 196 |
| Switzerland | 86th 2025 | 83 | 1 in 410 |
| Quebec province | 111th 2025 | 50 | about 1 in 520 |
| Munich city | 124th 2025 | 10 | about 1 in 419 |
| The Netherlands | 125th 2025 | 117 | about 1 in 521 |
| Ireland | 213th 2025 | 20 | 1 in 1,056 |
| Cologne city | 258th 2023 | 4 | about 1 in 1,536 |
| Sweden | 283rd 2025 | 26 | about 1 in 1,545 |
| Northern Ireland | 334th 2025 | 4 | 1 in 1,822 |
| Berlin city | 428th 2023 | 7 | about 1 in 2,072 |
| Austria | 438th 2025 | 11 | 1 in 3,247 |
| Ontario province | 483rd 2024 | 26 | about 1 in 2,095 |
| British Columbia province | 516th 2023 | 6 | about 1 in 1,993 |
| Poland | 706th 2025 | 2 | 1 in 59,894 |
| England and Wales | 816th 2025 | 44 | 1 in 5,756 |
| Italy | 2199th 2024 | 3 | 1 in 59,723 |
| Bonn city | 145th 2025 | 4 | about 1 in 754 |
Rare, below the listed names: Scotland, New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, New Zealand, Leipzig, Rostock, Spain, Catalonia, Hungary, Slovenia and Israel.
Not in a short top list, so no figure: Nova Scotia (top 21), Denmark (top 50), Finland (top 50), Iceland (top 10), Estonia (top 25), Moscow (top 61), Turkey (top 30), Argentina (top 20) and Croatia (top 50).
Germany publishes no national statistics on first names. German figures here are city lists (Berlin, Munich, Cologne, Bonn, Leipzig, Rostock), never the country.
Sources: INSEE, Fichier des prénoms (édition 2025) (France); Statistics Norway (SSB) (Norway); Bundesamt für Statistik (BFS) / Office fédéral de la statistique (OFS) (Switzerland); Retraite Québec (Banque de prénoms, Données Québec) (Quebec); Landeshauptstadt München, Statistisches Amt (opendata.muenchen.de) (Munich); Sociale Verzekeringsbank (SVB) (the Netherlands); Central Statistics Office (CSO) (Ireland); Stadt Köln, Standesamt (offenedaten-koeln.de) (Cologne); Skatteverket (Swedish Tax Agency) (Sweden); NISRA (Northern Ireland); BerlinOnline GmbH; Landesamt für Bürger- und Ordnungsangelegenheiten (LABO) / Standesämter (Berlin); Statistik Austria (OGDEXT_VORNAMEN_1) (Austria); Ontario Office of the Registrar General (Ontario Data Catalogue) (Ontario); BC Vital Statistics Agency (BC Data Catalogue) (British Columbia); Ministerstwo Cyfryzacji, rejestr PESEL (dane.gov.pl) (Poland); Office for National Statistics (England and Wales); ISTAT, Contanomi (Italy); Bundesstadt Bonn, Standesamt (opendata.bonn.de) (Bonn). How we count, and every source
About the name
From French, Louise is the feminine form of Louis, and it shares that name's meaning, built from Germanic elements for 'loud' or 'famous' and 'battle'. It has been part of French naming for centuries and travelled easily into English.
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It is two syllables, said loo-EEZ, with a gentle stress on the end. Lou and Lulu are the obvious short forms. The name has many cousins: Louisa, Luisa, Luise, Lovisa and Luiza among them, plus compounds such as Marie-Louise.
France is where it shines brightest, at number one for girls there, and it is also well used in Norway and Switzerland. In the English-speaking world it is most familiar in Quebec and Ireland. French records show a peak around 2015, so this is a classic that has had a genuine revival rather than a name stuck in the past.
Meaning, origin, pronunciation
- Pronounced
- loo-EEZ, 2 syllables
- Meaning
- from Louis,
loud; famous + battle
- Origin
- French
- Other spellings
- Lou
- Louisa
- Lovise
- Lovisa
- Luiza
- Luisa
- Luise
- Lujza
- Lois
- Laoise
- Marylouise
- Lula
- Lulu
- Marie-Louise
- Louice
- Loise
- Lluïsa
- Loeiza
- Louize
- Lluisa
- Loviisa
- Lavīze
Etymology
From French Louise, the feminine form of Louis.
From the Wiktionary entry, CC BY-SA 4.0, shortened.
Over time
Over five years: rising in 7 of 16 regions, falling in 4.
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Rank in each place since 1996; higher on the chart is more popular.
Ten years of ranks
Her rank each year, English-speaking regions first. A blank means no published rank for her that year.
| Region | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England and Wales | 415 | 499 | 437 | 562 | 559 | 709 | 706 | 627 | 952 | 816 |
| Scotland | 311 | 304 | 348 | 447 | 399 | 485 | 760 | 540 | 476 | |
| Northern Ireland | 353 | 296 | 334 | |||||||
| Ireland | 236 | 301 | 211 | 347 | 315 | 284 | 284 | 296 | 294 | 213 |
| Ontario | 431 | 599 | 447 | 546 | 436 | 449 | 607 | 401 | 483 | |
| British Columbia | 578 | 415 | 460 | 305 | 390 | 326 | 425 | 516 | ||
| Quebec | 278 | 294 | 177 | 184 | 227 | 132 | 198 | 147 | 155 | 111 |
| France | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| The Netherlands | 112 | 111 | 102 | 113 | 126 | 128 | 143 | 125 | 125 | |
| Austria | 242 | 312 | 316 | 350 | 429 | 314 | 386 | 532 | 406 | 438 |
| Switzerland | 77 | 93 | 71 | 80 | 81 | 95 | 69 | 90 | 71 | 86 |
| Berlin | 74 | 204 | 210 | 172 | 198 | 242 | 260 | 428 | ||
| Munich | 142 | 232 | 208 | 217 | 172 | 227 | 151 | 127 | 124 | |
| Cologne | 143 | 98 | 76 | 273 | 216 | 649 | 213 | 258 | ||
| Bonn | 220 | 365 | 226 | 158 | 357 | 124 | 239 | 236 | 362 | 145 |
| Leipzig | 375 | 189 | 131 | 406 | 262 | 389 | 361 | 222 | ||
| Rostock | 283 | 86 | 134 | 126 | 158 | |||||
| Norway | 86 | 91 | 101 | 84 | 72 | 69 | 69 | 82 | 64 | 59 |
| Sweden | 198 | 203 | 271 | 242 | 248 | 254 | 288 | 234 | 258 | 283 |
England and Wales, 1996 to 2025
| Year | Rank | Girls | per 100,000 girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 816 | 44 | 17.4 |
| 2024 | 952 | 37 | 14.3 |
| 2023 | 627 | 59 | 23.0 |
| 2022 | 706 | 52 | 19.7 |
| 2021 | 709 | 53 | 19.3 |
| 2020 | 559 | 70 | 26.1 |
| 2019 | 562 | 72 | 25.7 |
| 2018 | 437 | 100 | 34.7 |
| 2017 | 499 | 87 | 29.1 |
| 2016 | 415 | 107 | 34.8 |
| 2015 | 417 | 106 | 34.4 |
| 2014 | 432 | 101 | 32.9 |
| 2013 | 366 | 124 | 40.2 |
| 2012 | 291 | 164 | 50.9 |
| 2011 | 288 | 171 | 53.2 |
| 2010 | 208 | 239 | 74.4 |
| 2009 | 201 | 252 | 80.4 |
| 2008 | 191 | 277 | 87.7 |
| 2007 | 148 | 370 | 120.9 |
| 2006 | 143 | 380 | 127.0 |
| 2005 | 112 | 452 | 156.8 |
| 2004 | 77 | 657 | 229.8 |
| 2003 | 70 | 750 | 269.1 |
| 2002 | 58 | 902 | 337.4 |
| 2001 | 79 | 645 | 240.7 |
| 2000 | 81 | 659 | 241.2 |
| 1999 | 65 | 804 | 285.4 |
| 1998 | 49 | 1,102 | 381.1 |
| 1997 | 45 | 1,283 | 437.6 |
| 1996 | 44 | 1,309 | 442.2 |
Sources: Office for National Statistics (1996-2025), OGL v3.
France since 1925
Half of the babies named Louise in France since 1925 were born in or after 2005. First recorded in 1925. Her peak year there: 2015, at 1,262.3 per 100,000 girls.
Babies named Louise per 100,000 girls born in France, by five-year period. Her 2015 peak is averaged into its five-year period, so the line sits below it.
Sources: INSEE, Fichier des prénoms (édition 2025) (1900-2025), Licence Ouverte / Etalab 2.0.
Sister names for Louise
1 in 1,408 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Louise.
Similar forms, not dealt separately: Julie and Julia.
1 in 1,278 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Louise.
1 in 2,641 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Louise. Same first letter as Louise.
1 in 5,282 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Louise.
1 in 2,183 in England and Wales
Rose and fell with Louise.
1 in 754 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Louise.
1 in 3,578 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Louise.
1 in 4,966 in England and Wales
Rose and fell with Louise.
1 in 3,018 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Louise. Same first letter as Louise.
1 in 911 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Louise. Same first letter as Louise.
Middle names for Louise
1 in 71 in Scotland
Louise Olivia
2-4 beats · initials LO
Changes the beat after Louise: 2 syllables, then 4 syllables.
1 in 78 in Northern Ireland
Louise Emily
2-3 beats · initials LE
Changes the beat after Louise: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 57 in Northern Ireland
Louise Grace
2-1 beats · initials LG
Changes the beat after Louise: 2 syllables, then 1 syllable.
1 in 311 in Ireland
Louise Maria
2-3 beats · initials LM
Changes the beat after Louise: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 88 in Scotland
Louise Amelia
2-4 beats · initials LA
Changes the beat after Louise: 2 syllables, then 4 syllables.
1 in 162 in England and Wales
Louise Evelyn
2-3 beats · initials LE
Changes the beat after Louise: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 325 in Ireland
Louise Elizabeth
2-4 beats · initials LE
Changes the beat after Louise: 2 syllables, then 4 syllables.
1 in 175 in Ireland
Louise Isabelle
2-3 beats · initials LI
Changes the beat after Louise: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
Same style as Louise
Names whose popularity rose and fell with hers across regions and decades.
1 in 911 in Northern Ireland
96% alike: moves with Louise across countries and decades.
1 in 1,988 in Scotland
94% alike: moves with Louise across countries and decades.
1 in 1,278 in Scotland
93% alike: moves with Louise across countries and decades.
1 in 4,473 in Scotland
93% alike: moves with Louise across countries and decades.
1 in 405 in Northern Ireland
92% alike: moves with Louise across countries and decades.
1 in 2,982 in Scotland
92% alike: moves with Louise across countries and decades.
1 in 2,183 in England and Wales
92% alike: moves with Louise across countries and decades.
1 in 1,408 in Ireland
91% alike: moves with Louise across countries and decades.
Famous people named Louise
Louise Glück, Louise Fletcher, Louise Michel, Louise Bourgeois, Louise Labé, Louise Brooks, Louise Brown and Louise Mountbatten.
Show all 8Show less
-
U.S. poet and Nobel laureate (1943–2023)
-
American actress (1934–2022)
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French author and anarchist (1830-1905)
-
French-American artist (1911-2010)
-
French poet of the Renaissance, born in Lyon (1524–1566)
-
American actress (1906–1985)
-
First in-vitro baby born 1978
-
Queen consort of Sweden (1950-1965) 1889 to 1965
People: Wikidata (CC0), linked to Wikipedia in this page's language when an article exists.
Questions about Louise
5 questions, on how popular she is, what it means, how to say it, whether she is rising and sister names.
Show all 5 questionsShow less
How popular is Louise?
Her best rank is No. 1 in France in 2025, about 1 in 93 girls. She is in the published lists of 18 of our 40 regions.
What does Louise mean?
Louise takes her meaning from Louis: "loud; famous + battle", per Wiktionary.
How do you pronounce Louise?
loo-EEZ, with 2 syllables.
Is Louise getting more popular?
Over five years: rising in 7 of 16 regions, falling in 4.
Which sister names go with Louise?
The deck's top five sisters for Louise: Juliette, Rosalie, Lisa, Estelle and Constance. Each is scored on style, era, popularity and origin, with sound clashes flagged.