Louis Name Meaning (Origin, Popularity & Nicknames)

What Does Louis Mean?

In French, Louis means “famed warrior” or “loot bringer.” It also has German origins, where it similarly means “renowned warrior” or “famous in battle.” The meaning “famous warrior” is associated with the Latin Ludovicus, a form of Ludwig, also meaning “famous warrior.”

Louis first appeared in French as the Old French Loeis, based on the Old German Hluodowig, meaning “famous in war.” The original version means “plunder (bringing) warrior.”

What Is the Origin of the Name Louis?

Louis is the proper French spelling of the colloquial Louie. It relates to the Old Frankish Chlodowig and Old German Hluodowig, made up of the Germanic “hluod,” meaning “famous,” and “wīg,” meaning “strife.”

Louis is famous as the name of 18 French monarchs. It was first used in the form of Clovis (the first king of the Franks in the 5th-century). Louis became well known as a king’s name with Louis I, the son of Charlemagne. Even today, British royals Prince William and Prince George’s middle names are Louis in honor of their uncle, Louis Mountbatten.

A stand-out offshoot of Louis became Ludovic, associated with the Gaelic Maol Dòmhnaich, meaning “devotee of the Lord.” Lewis and Louis are the most common modern forms of the original French name Louis.

How Popular Is the Name Louis?

Louis has consistently ranked in the top 500 names for U.S. boys, peaking at number 20 in 1914. Louis has recently proved super popular in France, ranking 5th for boys in 2019 and 8th in Switzerland. Louis similarly ranked 85th in England over the last five years.

Many credit the 1957 hit “Louie, Louie” with the resurgence of Louis and Louie as a boy’s name. In the U.S., Louis ranked 1,000th in 2015 and most recently ranked 616th for boys.

How Do I Pronounce Louis?

Louis is pronounced “Lew-EE” in French, “loo-EE” in Dutch, and “LEW-ihs” or “LOO-ee” in English.

Is Louis a Boy or Girl Name?

Louis is traditionally a boy’s name, while Louisa is the girl’s version. Louis very rarely appears as a girl’s name, although some may use it for their little girls.

Variations of Louis

Just a few letters can determine multiple stunning Louis variations in different cultures:

• Lewes (English)
• Lewis (English)
• Lewys (Welsh)
• Lluís (Catalan)
• Lodewijk (Dutch)
• Lodovico (Italian)
• Loizos (Greek)
• Loudovik (Armenian)
• Luay (Arabic)
• Luděk (Czech)
• Ludovic (English)
• Ludovico (Italian)
• Ludwig (German)
• Ludwik (Polish)
• Luigi (Italian)
• Luijs (Latvian)
• Luis (Spanish)
• Luiz (Portuguese)
• Lùyi (Chinese)
• Lyudovik (Russian)

Nicknames for Louis

Find the best nickname for Louis when your famous warrior enters the world:

• Lew
• Lews
• Loo-Loo
• Lou
• Louie
• Lou Lou
• Lu
• Lucky Louie

Similar Names to Louis

These names are similar to Louis, especially when a regal feel is what you’re after:

• Alexander
• Calvin
• Charles
• Elliot
• Ellis
• Elvis
• Everett
• Francis
• Frederick
• George
• Henry
• Hugo
• Jack
• James
• Killian
• Lance
• Leo
• Leopold
• Miles
• Samuel

Middle Names for Louis

Use one of these adorable middle names for special baby boys called Louis:

• Angus
• Benedict
• Cormac
• Donald
• Dorian
• Duncan
• Finn
• Frasier
• Gael
• James
• Jerome
• Magnus
• Matthew
• Murdoch
• Oliver
• Philippe
• Robert
• Sebastian
• Thomas
• Victor

Sibling Names for Louis

Even a kingly boy named Louis needs a stylishly named brother or sister:

• Alfred
• Beau
• Calvin
• Esme
• Felix
• Gemma
• Gigi
• Jasper
• Lucien
• Matilda
• Maude
• Natalia
• Noel
• Otto
• Solange
• Sophia
• Spencer
• Sylvia
• Vera
• Yvonne

Famous People Named Louis

There are almost too many famous people named Louis in history, so here are a few of the best:

• Louis II: Prince of Monaco from 1922 to 1949.
• Louis XVI: Last king of France before the French Revolution.
• Louis Alphonse Koyagialo: Deputy Prime Minister of the Congo.
• Louis Costello: American comedian and one-half of Abbott and Costello.
• Louis Daguerre: French photographer who invented daguerreotype photography.
• Louis Delétraz: Swiss racing driver in the European Le Mans Series.
• Louis (Lou) Diamond Phillips: American actor known for “La Bamba.”
• Louis Dobbs: American news host of “Lou Dobbs Tonight.”
• Louis Farrakhan: American civil rights leader and head of the Nation of Islam.
• Louis Gerard De Geer: The first prime minister of Sweden.
• Louis Gerstner: American businessman and CEO of IBM.
• Louis Jani: Canadian judoka who competed at the 1988 Summer Olympics.
• Louis Pasteur: French chemist known for vaccination.
• Louis Rubenstein: Canadian figure skater called the Father of Canadian Figure Skating.
• Louis Sachar: American young-adult writer known for the “Wayside School” series.
• Louis Saha: French footballer for the French national team.
• Louis Smith: English gymnast and bronze medalist at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
• Louis Theroux: English-American journalist who won a Royal Television Society Television Award.
• Louis Wain: English artist known for his drawings of cats and kittens.
• Prince Louis of Wales: Member of the British royal family and 4th in line to the throne.

Louis in Popular Culture

Find out how Louis has made an appearance in popular culture recently.

• Dr. Louis Faraday: Character in the 1986 film “Flight of the Navigator.”
• Louis: Character in the 1980s sitcom “Kate & Allie.”
• Louis: Lead character in the Japanese manga series “Beastars.”
• Louis: Protagonist in a first-person shooter video game, Left 4 Dead.
• Louis de Pointe du Lac: Character appearing in Anne Rice’s “Vampire Chronicles.”
• Louis Gara: Character in 2013’s “Life of Crime” film.
• Louis Huang: Character appearing in the series “Fresh Off the Boat.”
• Louis Litt: Character in the American legal series “Suits.”
• Louis Michaelson: Character in the 1986 fantasy film “The Boy Who Could Fly.”
• Louis the Alligator: Animated character from the film “The Princess and the Frog.”
• Louis Tully: One of the main characters in “Ghostbusters” and “Ghostbusters II.”
• Louis Wu: Character appearing in Larry Niven’s “Ringworld” books.

Louis FAQs

Here’s some more interesting information regarding the boy’s name, Louis.

What Does the Name Louis Mean in Spanish?

Like its French variation, Luis also means “famous battle,” as the Spanish form of Louis. Louis and Luis are both associated with the German Ludwig and Latin Ludovicus. Here, the Spanish diminutive for Luis differs from those used in French and English, like Louie and Lou. Spanish nicknames include Lucho and Luisito.

What Is Louis in Latin?

The Old French Louis, Looïs, and Loeis all derive from the Latin Ludovīcus. Louis is considered a French-Latin variant of the Germanic Hludwig and Old German Hlūtwīg. Its earliest etymology is based on the Proto-Germanic “hlūdaz,” meaning “loud” and “famous,” along with “wīgą,” meaning “battle.” The Latin Ludovicus was a medieval version of the Germanic Ludwig.

What Is the Croatian Name for Louis?

One of the most unique international variations of Louis appears in Croatia. The Croatian version of Louis is Ljudevit and is used as a first name for boys. It draws on the root “ljudi,” meaning “people,” and “vit,” meaning “lord” or “master.” Ljudevit’s official meaning translates to “master of the people” in Croatia.