Is Lou a boy or girl name?
Lou is used for both boys and girls in close to equal numbers in the US. In 2024, 70 girls and 70 boys were named Lou, so 50% were girls. Across 1880–2024, 89.5% of the 38,049 US babies named Lou were girls.
- Boy rank, 2024
- #2,118
- Girl rank, 2024
- #2,541
- Babies named Lou since 1880
- 38,049
- Most popular year
- 1954
- 1,547 babies
Boys and girls named Lou, by decade
| Decade | Boys | Girls | Share girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 119 | 1,364 | 92% |
| 1890s | 103 | 1,283 | 92.6% |
| 1900s | 84 | 1,261 | 93.8% |
| 1910s | 271 | 2,550 | 90.4% |
| 1920s | 352 | 3,930 | 91.8% |
| 1930s | 333 | 5,165 | 93.9% |
| 1940s | 427 | 4,722 | 91.7% |
| 1950s | 513 | 9,084 | 94.7% |
| 1960s | 413 | 3,037 | 88% |
| 1970s | 259 | 767 | 74.8% |
| 1980s | 167 | 177 | 51.5% |
| 1990s | 161 | 65 | 28.8% |
| 2000s | 159 | 85 | 34.8% |
| 2010s | 308 | 255 | 45.3% |
| 2020s | 337 | 298 | 46.9% |
Every year
| Year | Boys | Boy rank | Girls | Girl rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 70 | #2,118 | 70 | #2,541 |
| 2023 | 74 | #2,037 | 69 | #2,570 |
| 2022 | 74 | #2,049 | 62 | #2,772 |
| 2021 | 61 | #2,288 | 54 | #3,052 |
| 2020 | 58 | #2,339 | 43 | #3,527 |
| 2019 | 44 | #2,833 | 40 | #3,757 |
| 2018 | 32 | #3,487 | 39 | #3,822 |
| 2017 | 37 | #3,166 | 30 | #4,649 |
| 2016 | 45 | #2,709 | 35 | #4,207 |
| 2015 | 38 | #3,060 | 29 | #4,807 |
| 2014 | 27 | #3,854 | 22 | #5,909 |
| 2013 | 24 | #4,136 | 15 | #8,014 |
| 2012 | 18 | #5,169 | 18 | #7,043 |
| 2011 | 27 | #3,855 | 16 | #7,654 |
| 2010 | 16 | #5,633 | 11 | #10,201 |
| 2009 | 22 | #4,526 | 5 | #19,029 |
| 2008 | 13 | #6,631 | 6 | #16,658 |
| 2007 | 13 | #6,482 | 6 | #16,741 |
| 2006 | 20 | #4,617 | 9 | #12,017 |
| 2005 | 21 | #4,281 | 14 | #8,157 |
| 2004 | 16 | #5,155 | 10 | #10,379 |
| 2003 | 10 | #7,043 | 10 | #10,121 |
| 2002 | 13 | #5,602 | 8 | #11,742 |
| 2001 | 20 | #4,056 | 8 | #11,606 |
| 2000 | 11 | #6,169 | 9 | #10,390 |
| 1999 | 8 | #7,584 | 6 | #13,684 |
| 1998 | 11 | #5,693 | 8 | #10,713 |
| 1997 | 14 | #4,596 | 7 | #11,548 |
| 1996 | 14 | #4,529 | 0 | – |
| 1995 | 13 | #4,695 | 0 | – |
| 1994 | 20 | #3,415 | 7 | #11,264 |
| 1993 | 14 | #4,371 | 10 | #8,434 |
| 1992 | 19 | #3,412 | 9 | #9,190 |
| 1991 | 24 | #2,793 | 6 | #12,432 |
| 1990 | 24 | #2,746 | 12 | #7,138 |
| 1989 | 18 | #3,281 | 13 | #6,378 |
| 1988 | 10 | #4,639 | 11 | #6,919 |
| 1987 | 16 | #3,144 | 13 | #5,795 |
| 1986 | 11 | #4,027 | 13 | #5,625 |
| 1985 | 19 | #2,661 | 12 | #5,886 |
| 1984 | 19 | #2,587 | 19 | #4,095 |
| 1983 | 13 | #3,345 | 18 | #4,206 |
| 1982 | 22 | #2,312 | 29 | #3,061 |
| 1981 | 16 | #2,846 | 30 | #2,954 |
| 1980 | 23 | #2,258 | 19 | #4,080 |
| 1979 | 25 | #2,079 | 40 | #2,366 |
| 1978 | 25 | #1,998 | 38 | #2,373 |
| 1977 | 17 | #2,614 | 43 | #2,177 |
| 1976 | 20 | #2,300 | 48 | #1,896 |
| 1975 | 21 | #2,176 | 49 | #1,864 |
| 1974 | 19 | #2,245 | 64 | #1,527 |
| 1973 | 29 | #1,636 | 91 | #1,189 |
| 1972 | 25 | #1,803 | 101 | #1,108 |
| 1971 | 38 | #1,392 | 134 | #955 |
| 1970 | 40 | #1,326 | 159 | #849 |
| 1969 | 29 | #1,514 | 165 | #803 |
| 1968 | 32 | #1,378 | 169 | #770 |
| 1967 | 29 | #1,431 | 171 | #754 |
| 1966 | 39 | #1,212 | 186 | #725 |
| 1965 | 33 | #1,350 | 225 | #656 |
| 1964 | 48 | #1,105 | 277 | #599 |
| 1963 | 38 | #1,267 | 382 | #496 |
| 1962 | 47 | #1,131 | 396 | #487 |
| 1961 | 54 | #1,064 | 473 | #447 |
| 1960 | 64 | #950 | 593 | #388 |
| 1959 | 57 | #1,024 | 706 | #358 |
| 1958 | 67 | #932 | 851 | #314 |
| 1957 | 72 | #896 | 884 | #309 |
| 1956 | 54 | #1,025 | 1,066 | #259 |
| 1955 | 49 | #1,081 | 1,225 | #232 |
| 1954 | 52 | #1,042 | 1,495 | #204 |
| 1953 | 36 | #1,255 | 1,434 | #208 |
| 1952 | 40 | #1,178 | 569 | #345 |
| 1951 | 55 | #946 | 440 | #391 |
| 1950 | 31 | #1,306 | 414 | #395 |
| 1949 | 35 | #1,222 | 441 | #374 |
| 1948 | 39 | #1,154 | 439 | #379 |
| 1947 | 56 | #950 | 510 | #355 |
| 1946 | 47 | #995 | 478 | #343 |
| 1945 | 48 | #934 | 399 | #341 |
| 1944 | 38 | #1,080 | 463 | #314 |
| 1943 | 39 | #1,097 | 456 | #330 |
| 1942 | 47 | #981 | 536 | #293 |
| 1941 | 39 | #1,043 | 506 | #286 |
| 1940 | 39 | #1,043 | 494 | #281 |
| 1939 | 47 | #911 | 502 | #277 |
| 1938 | 30 | #1,211 | 532 | #274 |
| 1937 | 26 | #1,332 | 539 | #269 |
| 1936 | 26 | #1,309 | 506 | #271 |
| 1935 | 29 | #1,265 | 522 | #269 |
| 1934 | 24 | #1,414 | 559 | #263 |
| 1933 | 38 | #1,066 | 534 | #265 |
| 1932 | 45 | #987 | 540 | #270 |
| 1931 | 40 | #1,074 | 463 | #290 |
| 1930 | 28 | #1,383 | 468 | #306 |
| 1929 | 28 | #1,363 | 474 | #309 |
| 1928 | 44 | #1,051 | 425 | #320 |
| 1927 | 37 | #1,190 | 489 | #304 |
| 1926 | 29 | #1,370 | 417 | #323 |
| 1925 | 41 | #1,101 | 395 | #338 |
| 1924 | 37 | #1,199 | 381 | #349 |
| 1923 | 35 | #1,229 | 343 | #358 |
| 1922 | 40 | #1,130 | 350 | #349 |
| 1921 | 28 | #1,435 | 320 | #377 |
| 1920 | 33 | #1,267 | 336 | #357 |
| 1919 | 21 | #1,674 | 313 | #361 |
| 1918 | 31 | #1,278 | 371 | #335 |
| 1917 | 45 | #975 | 338 | #338 |
| 1916 | 39 | #1,036 | 308 | #351 |
| 1915 | 31 | #1,175 | 285 | #354 |
| 1914 | 38 | #894 | 227 | #348 |
| 1913 | 17 | #1,293 | 199 | #342 |
| 1912 | 22 | #981 | 212 | #315 |
| 1911 | 9 | #1,249 | 153 | #317 |
| 1910 | 18 | #723 | 144 | #318 |
| 1909 | 0 | – | 140 | #307 |
| 1908 | 15 | #701 | 147 | #293 |
| 1907 | 12 | #798 | 124 | #313 |
| 1906 | 0 | – | 100 | #334 |
| 1905 | 13 | #688 | 143 | #276 |
| 1904 | 7 | #1,028 | 117 | #297 |
| 1903 | 11 | #722 | 133 | #266 |
| 1902 | 6 | #1,094 | 121 | #286 |
| 1901 | 7 | #906 | 96 | #304 |
| 1900 | 13 | #718 | 140 | #275 |
| 1899 | 13 | #569 | 125 | #253 |
| 1898 | 10 | #726 | 156 | #236 |
| 1897 | 13 | #601 | 114 | #267 |
| 1896 | 10 | #759 | 130 | #247 |
| 1895 | 9 | #774 | 125 | #253 |
| 1894 | 12 | #615 | 118 | #253 |
| 1893 | 10 | #683 | 137 | #223 |
| 1892 | 9 | #778 | 137 | #222 |
| 1891 | 8 | #741 | 109 | #231 |
| 1890 | 9 | #710 | 132 | #210 |
| 1889 | 17 | #453 | 120 | #210 |
| 1888 | 10 | #679 | 169 | #173 |
| 1887 | 10 | #615 | 147 | #167 |
| 1886 | 9 | #674 | 129 | #178 |
| 1885 | 13 | #537 | 135 | #158 |
| 1884 | 10 | #644 | 146 | #145 |
| 1883 | 11 | #577 | 142 | #136 |
| 1882 | 10 | #627 | 131 | #137 |
| 1881 | 15 | #452 | 114 | #138 |
| 1880 | 14 | #492 | 131 | #125 |
Highest rank
As a boy name, Lou reached #452 in 1881. As a girl name, it reached #125 in 1880. Ranks count every name SSA published for that year and sex, so they go well past the top 1,000.
Names from the same era
These names were also most popular in the 1950s, with a similar number of babies. They can work as sibling or middle names that feel like they belong together.
Names spelled like Lou
Source: US Social Security Administration baby name data, 1880–2024. Counts are Social Security card applications for US births; SSA leaves out names given to fewer than 5 babies in a year. Updated 2026-10-05. How these numbers are made.