Lou

#2,645 for girls in 2025, 65 births · #1,919 for boys in 2025, 81 births
Given to girls 89.3% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · girls
1880 · 131 births
Debut · girls
131 births
In top 100 · girls
never
of 146 years
Total births · girls
34,109
since 1880

Lou over time

girlsboys

Rank within each sex, plotted together. Click any year to open it.

#1#10#100#1,000#10,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201915peak #122, 1880peak #442, 1881girlsboys
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025#2,64565#1,91981
2024#2,50871#2,12070
2023#2,55569#2,03274
2022#2,75662#2,00076
2021#3,03754#2,27761
2020#3,49843#2,32358
2019#3,71840#2,80844
2018#3,78939#3,44632
2017#4,57630#3,12337
2016#4,15735#2,68945
2015#4,72529#3,02238
2014#5,79722#3,78727
2013#7,74815#4,06424
2012#6,87218#5,03518
2011#7,43616#3,79227
2010#9,79011#5,47816
2009#17,2945#4,42922
2008#15,4056#6,39313
2007#15,4916#6,26213
2006#11,4179#4,52020
2005#7,89114#4,19821
2004#9,89210#5,00716
2003#9,67110#6,71510
2002#11,1088#5,39513
2001#11,0208#3,97420
2000#9,8749#5,92011
1999#12,6886#7,1398
1998#10,1228#5,46611
1997#10,8367#4,45114
1996#4,39614
1995#4,50813
1994#10,5697#3,32620
1993#8,05210#4,22714
1992#8,7349#3,33819
1991#11,5096#2,75324
1990#6,86712#2,69524
1989#6,16013#3,20518
1988#6,66611#4,45010
1987#5,61313#3,07216
1986#5,45913#3,88211
1985#5,67812#2,59819
1984#3,99019#2,52919
1983#4,10918#3,23013
1982#3,01729#2,26922
1981#2,92830#2,77916
1980#3,99219#2,21323
1979#2,34340#2,04825
1978#2,35038#1,96525
1977#2,16243#2,55617
1976#1,88348#2,24520
1975#1,85449#2,13421
1974#1,53263#2,19919
1973#1,17592#1,61229
1972#1,105101#1,77125
1971#951134#1,37838
1970#848159#1,31440
1969#801165#1,49229
1968#767169#1,36632
1967#753171#1,41129
1966#724186#1,19439
1965#657225#1,33533
1964#598277#1,09648
1963#496382#1,25538
1962#487396#1,12147
1961#447473#1,05954
1960#388593#94464
1959#358706#1,01957
1958#314851#92867
1957#309884#88972
1956#2581,066#1,01954
1955#2321,225#1,07549
1954#2041,495#1,03952
1953#2081,434#1,24536
1952#345569#1,16640
1951#391440#94355
1950#395414#1,28931
1949#374441#1,20535
1948#379439#1,14539
1947#355510#93856
1946#343478#98047
1945#341399#92748
1944#314463#1,07038
1943#330456#1,08839
1942#293536#97047
1941#286506#1,04039
1940#281494#1,03139
1939#277502#90447
1938#274532#1,19930
1937#269539#1,31326
1936#271506#1,29626
1935#269522#1,24729
1934#263559#1,38624
1933#265534#1,05138
1932#270540#98045
1931#290463#1,06540
1930#306468#1,36828
1929#308474#1,33928
1928#320425#1,04144
1927#303489#1,17837
1926#323417#1,35329
1925#337395#1,09141
1924#348381#1,18737
1923#356343#1,21335
1922#347350#1,12040
1921#377320#1,41228
1920#356336#1,25233
1919#361313#1,62421
1918#335371#1,25631
1917#338338#96445
1916#351308#1,02839
1915#353285#1,15931
1914#348227#88438
1913#342199#1,25617
1912#315212#97022
1911#316153#1,1909
1910#317144#70718
1909#307140
1908#292147#68515
1907#312124#77812
1906#334100
1905#276143#66613
1904#297117#9667
1903#266133#69611
1902#285121#1,0136
1901#30496#8587
1900#274140#69913
1899#251125#54813
1898#236156#70110
1897#267114#58413
1896#245130#72210
1895#252125#7389
1894#249118#59412
1893#222137#65010
1892#222137#7489
1891#231109#7008
1890#210132#6679
1889#210120#44617
1888#172169#64810
1887#167147#58310
1886#178129#6479
1885#158135#52113
1884#145146#61310
1883#136142#55611
1882#137131#61110
1881#137114#44215
1880#122131#48214
First appearance
1880

In the first year the SSA published name data, Lou was already there! It came in at #122, and was given to 131 baby girls.


Quietest stretch: 1995–1996, when fewer than 5 girls a year got the name.

Where Lou is popular in 1915

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 girls named Lou, so not publishedAKMaine: fewer than 5 girls named Lou, so not publishedMEVermont: fewer than 5 girls named Lou, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 girls named Lou, so not publishedNHWashington: #229 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 1,564 girlsWAIdaho: fewer than 5 girls named Lou, so not publishedIDMontana: fewer than 5 girls named Lou, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Lou, so not publishedNDMinnesota: fewer than 5 girls named Lou, so not publishedMNIllinois: fewer than 5 girls named Lou, so not publishedILWisconsin: fewer than 5 girls named Lou, so not publishedWIMichigan: fewer than 5 girls named Lou, so not publishedMINew York: fewer than 5 girls named Lou, so not publishedNYMassachusetts: fewer than 5 girls named Lou, so not publishedMARhode Island: fewer than 5 girls named Lou, so not publishedRIOregon: fewer than 5 girls named Lou, so not publishedORNevada: fewer than 5 girls named Lou, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 girls named Lou, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Lou, so not publishedSDIowa: fewer than 5 girls named Lou, so not publishedIAIndiana: fewer than 5 girls named Lou, so not publishedINOhio: fewer than 5 girls named Lou, so not publishedOHPennsylvania: fewer than 5 girls named Lou, so not publishedPANew Jersey: fewer than 5 girls named Lou, so not publishedNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 girls named Lou, so not publishedCTCalifornia: fewer than 5 girls named Lou, so not publishedCAUtah: fewer than 5 girls named Lou, so not publishedUTColorado: fewer than 5 girls named Lou, so not publishedCONebraska: fewer than 5 girls named Lou, so not publishedNEMissouri: #392 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 3,774 girlsMOKentucky: #197 for girls · 22 births · 1 in 1,072 girlsKYWest Virginia: #330 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 2,466 girlsWVVirginia: #272 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 2,299 girlsVAMaryland: fewer than 5 girls named Lou, so not publishedMDDelaware: fewer than 5 girls named Lou, so not publishedDEArizona: fewer than 5 girls named Lou, so not publishedAZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 girls named Lou, so not publishedNMKansas: fewer than 5 girls named Lou, so not publishedKSArkansas: #263 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 1,408 girlsARTennessee: #160 for girls · 29 births · 1 in 739 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #272 for girls · 14 births · 1 in 2,070 girlsNCSouth Carolina: #179 for girls · 17 births · 1 in 1,028 girlsSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 girls named Lou, so not publishedDCOklahoma: #213 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 1,120 girlsOKLouisiana: #290 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 1,683 girlsLAMississippi: #168 for girls · 22 births · 1 in 754 girlsMSAlabama: #194 for girls · 22 births · 1 in 1,058 girlsALGeorgia: #231 for girls · 19 births · 1 in 1,527 girlsGAHawaii: fewer than 5 girls named Lou, so not publishedHITexas: #240 for girls · 37 births · 1 in 1,165 girlsTXFlorida: #227 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 1,199 girlsFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Tennessee#160 · 1 in 739
  2. Mississippi#168 · 1 in 754
  3. South Carolina#179 · 1 in 1,028
  4. Alabama#194 · 1 in 1,058
  5. Kentucky#197 · 1 in 1,072

Best ever in a state: #91 in Utah, 1929.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Tennessee#160291 in 739
Mississippi#168221 in 754
South Carolina#179171 in 1,028
Alabama#194221 in 1,058
Kentucky#197221 in 1,072
Oklahoma#213151 in 1,120
Florida#22771 in 1,199
Washington#22951 in 1,564
Georgia#231191 in 1,527
Texas#240371 in 1,165
Arkansas#263111 in 1,408
North Carolina#272141 in 2,070
Virginia#272101 in 2,299
Louisiana#290101 in 1,683
West Virginia#33061 in 2,466
Missouri#39271 in 3,774
Alaska
Arizona
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
District of Columbia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Dakota
Ohio
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Dakota
Utah
Vermont
Wisconsin
Wyoming

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the girls born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Lou
Momentum · girls
Rising
  • 137 spots since 2024 (#2,508#2,645)
  • 853 spots since 2020 (#3,498#2,645)
  • 2,080 spots since 2015 (#4,725#2,645)
  • Biggest jump: 137 spots in 1953 (#345#208)
  • Biggest drop: 154 spots in 1972 (#951#1,105)
Rise & fade · girls
Peaked on debut
  • Debuted 1880
  • Peaked 1880 at #122 (131 births)
  • Births halved by 1974, 94 yrs later
Top of the charts · girls
Top 1,000 for 92 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: never
  • Top 1,000: 92 yrs · run 1880–1971
Share of babies · girls
1 in 695
  • Highest: 1 in 695 girls born in 1880 were named Lou (0.14%)
  • Latest: 1 in 24,727 girls born in 2025 (0.00%)
Era · girls
The 1950s
  • 26.6% of all girls named Lou (9,084) were born in this decade
Girls or boys?
Flipped in 2025
  • Mostly girls until 2024, mostly boys since
all girlsall boys
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s1,364#122 (1880)#156
1890s1,283#210 (1890)#239
1900s1,261#266 (1903)#295
1910s2,550#315 (1912)#338
1920s3,930#303 (1927)#338
1930s5,165#263 (1934)#275
1940s4,722#281 (1940)#330
1950s9,084#204 (1954)#301
1960s3,037#388 (1960)#612
1970s767#848 (1970)#1,620
1980s177#2,928 (1981)#4,761
1990s65#6,867 (1990)#9,922
2000s85#7,891 (2005)#11,906
2010s255#3,718 (2019)#5,861
2020s364#2,508 (2024)#2,833

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 girls in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Lou in 1915

girls
#353
285 births · 1 in 3,452 girls
boys
#1,159
31 births · 1 in 27,373 boys

Top girls' names in 1915

  1. #1Mary58,187
  2. #2Helen30,866
  3. #3Dorothy25,154
  4. #4Margaret23,054
  5. #5Ruth21,878
  6. #6Mildred15,254
  7. #7Anna15,119
  8. #8Elizabeth14,103
  9. #9Frances12,786
  10. #10Evelyn11,595
  11. #353Lou285

Top boys' names in 1915

  1. #1John47,576
  2. #2William38,563
  3. #3James33,773
  4. #4Robert28,737
  5. #5Joseph23,051
  6. #6George22,307
  7. #7Charles21,960
  8. #8Edward15,889
  9. #9Frank15,006
  10. #10Thomas11,490
  11. #1,159Lou31
More about 1915

girls

983,852 girls got a published name in 1915; 1 in 3,452 of them was named Lou, which outranked 92.9% of the 4,967 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.2% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Lou
  1. #350Iola289
  2. #351Gretchen288
  3. #352Dolly287
  4. #353Lou285
  5. #353Janice285
  6. #355Philomena284
  7. #356Dessie283
  8. #357Catharine281

Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1914
Risers
  1. 500Gerda#1,444#944
  2. 451Theda#1,034#583
  3. 441Dominga#1,385#944
  4. 354Vernon#1,344#990
  5. 308Loyce#1,147#839
Fallers
  1. 383Drusilla#956#1,339
  2. 342Rossie#798#1,140
  3. 335Arlie#855#1,190
  4. 329Orene#956#1,285
  5. 329Margot#988#1,317

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

boys

848,575 boys got a published name in 1915; 1 in 27,373 of them was named Lou, which outranked 73.6% of the 4,390 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 30.4% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Lou
  1. #1,141Vicente32
  2. #1,141Willam32
  3. #1,141Woodie32
  4. #1,159Lou31
  5. #1,159Anna31
  6. #1,159Attilio31
  7. #1,159Auther31
  8. #1,181Alpha30
  9. #1,181Angel30
  10. #1,181Annie30

Tied with 21 names at #1,159; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1914
Risers
  1. 691Eston#1,687#996
  2. 565Estill#1,545#980
  3. 545Garth#1,260#715
  4. 474Hiroshi#1,342#868
  5. 439Domingo#1,101#662
Fallers
  1. 674Gilmore#986#1,660
  2. 667Barnett#933#1,600
  3. 526Rose#884#1,410
  4. 517Toivo#855#1,372
  5. 461Sampson#949#1,410

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1915