Total births
34,109
Unisex name · since 1880
Lou
34,109 babies named Lou in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1954. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #2508
- among girls today
- 34,109
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 86%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Lou is the #2508 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 34,109 recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Lou recorded 34,109 times among girls since 1880, holding rank #2508 nationally today, ahead of 86% of girls, peaking in the 1950s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #2508 among girls today
- 34,109 born since 1880
- 1950s peak decade
- 86% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Lou is currently the #2508 unisex name in America, more common than 86% of girls - 34,109 born since 1880, peaking in the 1950s.
- #2508
- among girls today
- 34,109
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 86%
- more common than other girls
Lou vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#2508
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 86% of names given to girls today.
1950s
Peak decade
27% of everyone ever named Lou was born in this single decade.
1954
Single peak year
1,495 babies were named Lou in 1954 - its busiest year on record.
How Lou compares
34,109 Top 4% higher than 96% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Lou's all-time total is 89x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Lou | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 34,109 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 1,495 | 48 | 19,840 |
Lou's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Lou's SSA record in two at 1952 and the more recent half accounts for 38% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 62%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 2009, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1954 peak of 1,495, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Lou at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1954
Current rank
#2,508
Active since
1880
Lou popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1954)
- 1,495
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Lou popularity over time - boys
4,089 total births recorded since 1880 (Lou as boys' name)
Lou by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Lou's strongest decade.
9,084 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 27% of all-time use.
Lou births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 1,364
1880s
1,364 births
- 1890s 1,283
1890s
1,283 births
- 1900s 1,261
1900s
1,261 births
- 1910s 2,550
1910s
2,550 births
- 1920s
1920s
3,930 births
- 1930s
1930s
5,165 births
- 1940s
1940s
4,722 births
- 1950s
1950s
9,084 births
- 1960s 3,037
1960s
3,037 births
- 1970s 767
1970s
767 births
- 1980s 177
1980s
177 births
- 1990s 65
1990s
65 births
- 2000s 85
2000s
85 births
- 2010s 255
2010s
255 births
- 2020s 364
2020s
364 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 9,084 births (27% of all-time use).
How Lou compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Lou's total volume
Lou vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Lou by state
Where Lou concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 3,053 | 9.0% |
| #2 | North Carolina | | 1,678 | 4.9% |
| #3 | Kentucky | | 1,462 | 4.3% |
| #4 | Louisiana | | 1,338 | 3.9% |
| #5 | Mississippi | | 1,257 | 3.7% |
| #6 | Tennessee | | 1,254 | 3.7% |
| #7 | Oklahoma | | 1,164 | 3.4% |
| #8 | Ohio | | 1,129 | 3.3% |
Texas share of Lou's total US births 9.0%
Even split
3,053 of 34,109 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 47 reporting states.
Lou appears in 47 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Lou? ▼
Lou has been given to 34,109 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #2508 as of the latest data. 1,495 babies were born in 1954, its single highest year.
When was Lou most popular? ▼
Lou was most popular in the 1950s decade with 9,084 total births. The single peak year was 1954.
Where is Lou most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Lou are Texas (3,053 births), North Carolina (1,678 births), Kentucky (1,462 births).
Is Lou a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Lou is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 34,109 births, and as a boy's name it has 4,089 births.
How long has the name Lou been used? ▼
Lou has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Lou? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Louise, Louisa, Lourdes, Louella, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Lou's data
- Lou's decade-level peak was the 1950s (9,084 total births); usage has since declined to 364 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Lous (3,053 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Lou
Nearby Names Like Lou
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Lou
Louise Girl
#540 336,466 births
Louisa Girl
#732 21,932 births
Lourdes Girl
#2754 14,805 births
Louella Girl
#1466 13,958 births
Louann Girl
#13622 5,197 births
Compare Lou side by side: Lou vs Louise Lou vs Louisa Lou vs Lourdes
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Lou
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Lou: #2508 Unisex Name - 34,109 Births, Peak 1954." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/lou. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Lou draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.