Boy name · Germanic
Luis
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: famous warriorLuis is a boy's name that comes from Germanic and means "famous warrior". It is used in Spanish and Portuguese.
- Meaning
- Famous warrior
- Origin
- Germanic
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- loo-EES (Spanish)
Meaning and origin of Luis
As a boy's name, Luis comes from Germanic and means "famous warrior". It is used in Spanish and Portuguese. In Portuguese it is spelled Luís.
In Spanish, say loo-EES. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Luis is also a surname: the 3,685th most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 9,382 people. See the most common last names.
Its meaning puts Luis on our names that mean warrior list.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Luis on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Luis on 3 lists.
“Famous warrior; Germanic. The Spanish Louis. Say loo-EES”
From Mexican boy names, classic Mexican male names
“Famous warrior; Spanish and Portuguese form of Louis”
From Names that mean warrior, boy names that mean warrior
“Famous in battle; Germanic. Say loo-EES”
From Spanish boy names, classic male Spanish names
How popular is Luis?
- US rank in 2025
- #144
- 2,475 babies, 1,449 per million boys
- Best rank
- #49 in 2000
- Most babies: 8,054 in 2007
- Babies since 1880
- At least 292,959
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 101 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 97 per million |
| 1900s | 180 per million |
| 1910s | 153 per million |
| 1920s | 276 per million |
| 1930s | 266 per million |
| 1940s | 262 per million |
| 1950s | 484 per million |
| 1960s | 826 per million |
| 1970s | 1,451 per million |
| 1980s | 2,029 per million |
| 1990s | 3,325 per million |
| 2000s | 3,724 per million |
| 2010s | 2,078 per million |
| 2020s | 1,586 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #113 | #117 | #126 | #119 | #137 | #137 | #125 | #134 | #130 | #144 |
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 Luis
Established short forms and pet names, not made-up ones.
- Luchotraditional short form (Spanish)
Other forms of Luis
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)
- LouisFamous warrior (Germanic, boy)
- LudovicoFamous warrior (Germanic, boy)
- LudvigFamous warrior (Germanic, boy)
- LudwigFamous warrior (Germanic, boy)
- LuigiFamous warrior (Germanic, boy)
Names spelled like Luis
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- LuizFamous warrior (Germanic, boy)
- LucasMan from Lucania (Greek, boy)
- LucaMan from Lucania (Greek, boy)
- LarsMan from Laurentum (Latin, boy)
- LukaForm of Lucas, probably from Lucania (Greek, boy)
- LukeMan from Lucania (Greek, boy)
- LeiThunder (depends on characters) (Chinese, boy)
- LeibLion (Yiddish, boy)
- LeifHeir, descendant (Old Norse, 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 Luis
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
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)
Luis: common questions
What does the name Luis mean?
Luis comes from Germanic and means "famous warrior".
Is Luis a boy or girl name?
Luis is mainly a boy's name. In 2025, 7 girls and 2,475 boys in the US were named Luis, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are nicknames for Luis?
Common nicknames for Luis include Lucho.
How do you pronounce Luis?
In Spanish, say loo-EES. Pronunciation can vary between languages and regions.
How popular is the name Luis?
Luis ranked #144 in the US in 2025, with 2,475 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Luis?
Forms of Luis with the same meaning and origin include Alois (German), Aloysius (English), Lewis (English), Lodewijk (Dutch) and Loïc (French).
What middle names go with Luis?
Middle names that flow well with Luis include Alton, Bennett, Edward, Elton and Ezekiel. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.