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Lou

Boy's name · #1929 in the US (2025) · Vintage

53% boys · 47% girls — Lou is split almost evenly between girls and boys among recent newborns. Lou →

Popularity over time

Lou is an heirloom: its strongest era came around 1881, when it ranked #452. It has thinned since but never left the records — about 4,100 boys since 1880, ranked #1929 today.

Across the states

See where Lou is more common.

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 3 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Around the world

See how Lou ranks in other countries and regions.

#46 in Belgium (2025) · #164 in Netherlands (2025) · #237 in France (2025) · #313 in Switzerland (2025) · #834 in Sweden (2025) · #1,135 in Austria (2025) · #387 in Canada (2024).

Famous Lous

• Lou Reed — American rock musician (1942–2013)
• Lou Ferrigno — American actor and bodybuilder
• Lou Gehrig — American baseball player (1903–1941)
• Lou Diamond Phillips — American actor
• Lou Costello — American actor and comedian (1906–1959)

In stories & tradition

• Lou Todd — Little Britain (TV series)
• Lou Grant — Fictional character from The Mary Tyler Moore Show
• Lou^pt — The Simpsons (TV series)

What Lous become

Among 925 notable people named Lou:

Sports figures appear 2.07× more often than among typical names — e.g. Lou Gehrig, American baseball player (1903–1941).

Similar names: Louie · Mercer · Loki · Charley · Loyal · Link

Browse more boy names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

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