Boy name · Germanic
Louis
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: famous warriorLouis is a boy's name that comes from Germanic and means "famous warrior". It is used in English, French and German.
- Meaning
- Famous warrior
- Origin
- Germanic
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- LOO-ee
Meaning and origin of Louis
As a boy's name, Louis comes from Germanic and means "famous warrior". It is used in English, French and German.
Say it LOO-ee. In French, say LWEE. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Louis is also a surname: the 1,315th most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 26,229 people. See the most common last names.
Its meaning puts Louis on our names that mean warrior list.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Louis on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Louis on 6 lists.
“Famous in battle; Germanic. Royal French favorite”
From Boy middle names, strong boy middle names
“Famous warrior; Germanic. Eighteen kings of France”
From Classic boy names, royal and noble boy names
“Famous warrior; Germanic via French, borne by eighteen kings of France. Say LOO-ee”
From Cute boy names, sweet vintage boy names
“Famous in battle; Germanic. No. 5 in France in 2025. Say LWEE”
From French boy names, popular French boys' names right now
“Famous warrior; French form of Ludwig, borne by 18 French kings. Say LOO-ee”
From Names that mean warrior, boy names that mean warrior
“Famous warrior; Germanic. Lou or Louie for short”
From Old man names, grandpa names coming back for babies
How popular is Louis?
- US rank in 2025
- #249
- 1,391 babies, 814 per million boys
- Best rank
- #18 in 1882
- Most babies: 7,247 in 1921
- Babies since 1880
- At least 406,470
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 7,554 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 7,399 per million |
| 1900s | 7,640 per million |
| 1910s | 7,580 per million |
| 1920s | 6,143 per million |
| 1930s | 4,519 per million |
| 1940s | 3,320 per million |
| 1950s | 2,371 per million |
| 1960s | 1,733 per million |
| 1970s | 1,220 per million |
| 1980s | 940 per million |
| 1990s | 741 per million |
| 2000s | 514 per million |
| 2010s | 628 per million |
| 2020s | 828 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #290 | #277 | #260 | #249 | #260 | #251 | #245 | #238 | #236 | #249 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Nicknames for Louis
Established short forms and pet names, not made-up ones.
- Loucommon English nickname
- Louiecommon English nickname
- Koldotraditional short form (Spanish)
Other forms of Louis
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- AloisFamous warrior (Germanic, boy)
- AloysiusFamous warrior (Germanic, boy)
- LewisFamous warrior (Germanic, boy)
- LodewijkFamous warrior (Germanic, boy)
- LoïcFamous warrior (Germanic, boy)
- LouFamous warrior (Germanic, unisex)
- LouieFamous warrior (Germanic, boy)
- LudovicoFamous warrior (Germanic, boy)
- LudvigFamous warrior (Germanic, boy)
- LudwigFamous warrior (Germanic, boy)
- LuigiFamous warrior (Germanic, boy)
- LuisFamous warrior (Germanic, boy)
Names spelled like Louis
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- LogiFlame, fire (Old Norse, boy)
- LoukasMan from Lucania (Greek, boy)
- LoupWolf (Latin, boy)
- LuizFamous warrior (Germanic, boy)
Names with a similar meaning
- LouiseFamous warrior (Germanic, girl)
- BertaBright, famous (Germanic, girl)
- ClotildeFamous battle (Germanic, girl)
- LuisaFamous warrior (Germanic, girl)
- RolandFamous land (Germanic, boy)
- DonnchadhBrown warrior (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
- DuncanBrown warrior (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
- FinleyFair warrior (Scottish Gaelic, unisex)
- IvorYew warrior (Old Norse, boy)
- McKinleySon of Fionnlagh, white warrior (Gaelic, unisex)
Middle names for Louis
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
- AndrewManly, brave (Greek, boy)
- AnselGod helmet (Germanic, boy)
- CarltonSettlement of free peasants (Old English, boy)
- FlorianFlourishing, blossoming (Latin, boy)
- GraysonSon of the steward (English, boy)
- HunterOne who hunts (Old English, boy)
- NathanielGod has given (Hebrew, boy)
- WalkerCloth fuller (English, boy)
More boy names from Germanic
- HugoHeart, mind (Germanic, boy)
- LiamShort for William, will helmet (Germanic, boy)
- RobertBright fame (Germanic, boy)
- LambertBright land (Germanic, boy)
- LeonardoBrave lion (Germanic, boy)
- AlaricRuler of all (Germanic, boy)
- AlbertNoble and bright (Germanic, boy)
- AlbertoNoble and bright (Germanic, boy)
- ArmandoArmy man (Germanic, boy)
- ArnoEagle (Germanic, boy)
Louis: common questions
What does the name Louis mean?
Louis comes from Germanic and means "famous warrior".
Is Louis a boy or girl name?
Louis is mainly a boy's name. In 2025, 6 girls and 1,391 boys in the US were named Louis, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are nicknames for Louis?
Common nicknames for Louis include Lou, Louie and Koldo.
How do you pronounce Louis?
Say LOO-ee. In French, say LWEE. Pronunciation can vary between languages and regions.
How popular is the name Louis?
Louis ranked #249 in the US in 2025, with 1,391 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Louis?
Forms of Louis with the same meaning and origin include Alois (German), Aloysius (English), Lewis (English), Lodewijk (Dutch) and Loïc (French).
What middle names go with Louis?
Middle names that flow well with Louis include Andrew, Ansel, Carlton, Florian and Grayson. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.