Louis is a masculine given name of French origin. It is derived from the Frankish name Hludwig, which was composed of the elements "hlud" meaning "famous" and "wig" meaning "war". Therefore, Louis can be interpreted to mean "renowned in war".
The name Louis has been popular among French monarchs throughout history. The most notable is likely Louis XIV, who ruled France from 1643 until his death in 1715 and was known as the Sun King due to his extravagant lifestyle and absolute power. He had a significant impact on French culture and society during his reign.
In addition to France, variations of Louis have been used in other countries such as England (Louis/Lewes), Germany (Ludwig/Ludovic), and Hungary (Lajos). Some well-known individuals with the name Louis include American rapper Lupe Fiasco, Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti, and Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe.
Overall, Louis is a historic name with a strong association to French royalty. Its meaning of "renowned in war" reflects its Frankish origins and warrior roots. Despite being a traditional choice for centuries, Louis remains popular today as parents continue to honor the past while choosing timeless names for their children.
The statistics provided show the annual births of the name Louis in the United States from 1880 to 2023. Over this period, there has been a significant fluctuation in the popularity of the name.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the number of babies named Louis ranged between approximately 700 to 1,500 births per year. The peak during this time was in 1912 with 3,591 births, followed by a sharp decline in the following years.
In the mid-20th century, the popularity of the name Louis continued to fluctuate, with numbers ranging between approximately 400 to 2,000 births per year. The highest point during this period was in 1956 with 4,911 births, followed by a gradual decline.
Since the late 20th century and into the 21st century, the name Louis has experienced a resurgence in popularity. From the 1980s onwards, the number of babies named Louis has consistently been above 1,000 births per year, with peaks occurring in recent years such as 1,474 births in 2023.
In total, over this period, there have been 403,535 births of the name Louis in the United States. This data illustrates how the popularity of a name can change over time and across generations.