Louise

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Louise

Gender: Feminine
Language: English, French
Etymology:
Louise is the feminine form of Louis, a French form of the Germanic name, Hludwig. It originally meant “Famous Warrior” from “hlud” (famous), and “wig” (warrior).

History:
Louise, the French feminine for of Louis, was introduced in England in the 17th century (it was first noted in 1646 with a Luese Bencon). Louisa, with the Latin “a” ending, was formed in the 18th, during the vogue for classical names. Louisa became very popular.

Pronunciation: LOO-ease.

Diminutives:
English: Lou, Louann, Louanne, Louella, Louetta, Louie, Lula, Ouida.
French: Louisette.
German: Lulu.
Swedish: Loua.

Alternates:
Breton: Loeiza.
English: Louisa.
Finnish: Loviisa.
French: Eloise (SEE BELOW), Héloïse.
German: Luise.
Hawaiian: Luika.
Italian: Luigina.
Latin: Aloysia (SEE BELOW), Ludovica.
Scottish (Old): Ludovica.
Scottish Gaelic: Liùsaidh.
Spanish: Luisa.
Swedish: Lovisa.

Alternates from “Aloysia”:
German: Aloisia.
Spanish: Aloise.

Masculine: Louis.

Also see: Louisa, Lula; Eloise.

Famous Bearers:
Artists and Authors:
Louise Labé (1524-1566)
French poet.
Louise Colet (1810-1876)
French poet.
Louise-Victorine Ackermann (1813-1890)
French poet.
Ouida (1839-1908)
English novelist.
Louise Blanchard Bethune (1856-1913)
American architect.
Louise Imogen Guiney (1861-1920)
American poet.
Louise Bogan (1897-1970)
American poet.
Louise Nevelson (1899-1988)
American sculptor.
Louise Bourgeois (1911-)
French sculptor.
Louise Glück (1943-)
American poet.
Louise Erdrich (1954-)
American author.

Educators, Scholars, and Social Workers:
Louise Michel (1830-1905)
French anarchist.
Lou Andreas-Salomé (1861-1937)
Russian-German author.
Louise Phelps Kellogg (1862-1942)
American historian.
Louella Parsons (1881-1972)
American journalist.

Miscellaneous:
Héloïse (1098-1164)
Figure in a romantic tragedy in medieval France.
Louise-Françoise de La Vallière (1644-1710)
Mistress of King Louis XIV of France.
Louise-Renée de Kéroualle (1649-1734)
Mistress of King Charles II of Great Britain.
Louise-Éléanore de la Tour du Pil, Barrone Warens (1700-1762)
Mistress of Jean-Jacques Rousseau.
Louise Suggs (1923-)
American golfer.

Political Figures:
Lou Hoover (1874-1944)
American first lady. Wife of Herbert Hoover.

Religious Figures:
Luisa Carvajal y Mendoza (1568-1614)
Spanish missionary in England.
Saint Louise de Marillac (1591-1660)
Cofounder of the Daughter of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul.

Royalty:
Louise of Savoy (1476-1531)
Mother of King Francis I of France.
Louise Maximilenne Caroline, Countess of Albany (1752-1824)
Wife of Bonnie Prince Charlie.

Singers and Entertainers:
Luisa Tetrazzini (1871-1940)
Italian soprano.
Louise Homer (1871-1947)
American opera singer.
Louise Closser Hale (1872-1933)
American actress.
Louise Beavers (1902-1962)
American actress.
Louise Brooks (1906-1985)
American actress.

Popularity:
Percentage from the 1990 U.S. Census:
0.229 % named Louise
0.032 % named Eloise
0.020 % named Lou
0.016 % named Luisa
0.012 % named Louisa
0.008 % named Louella
0.007 % named Eloisa
0.006 % named Elouise
0.005 % named Louann
0.004 % named Lulu
0.003 % named Ouida
0.002 % named Louanne
0.002 % named Louie
0.002 % named Luise
0.001 % named Alease
0.001 % named Louetta

Popularity of Louise:
Popularity (for newborns):
In the United States...
1850: 65th most popular.
1875: 81st most popular.
1900-1910: 24th most popular.
1910-1920: 18th most popular.
1920-1930: 25th most popular.
1930-1940: 42nd most popular.
1940-1950: 84th most popular.
1950-1960: 146th most popular.
1960-1970: 273rd most popular.
1970-1980: 612th most popular.
1980-1990: 971st most popular.
1990: 986th most popular.
1991: 974th most popular.
1992: N/A

In France...
1900: 4th most popular.
1910: 8th most popular.
1920: 18th most popular.
1930: 35th most popular.
1940: 62nd most popular.
1950: 130th most popular.
1960: 192nd most popular.
1962: 191st most popular.
1970-1980: N/A
1983: 184th most popular.
1990: 103rd most popular.
2000: 24th most popular.

In Ireland...
1998: 36th most popular.
1999: 45th most popular.
2000: 45th most popular.
2001: 50th most popular.
2002: 49th most popular.
2003: 57th most popular.

Popularity of Lou:
Popularity (for newborns):
In the United States...
1850: 87th most popular.
1875: 140th most popular.
1900-1910: 337th most popular.
1910-1920: 360th most popular.
1920-1930: 340th most popular.
1930-1940: 281st most popular.
1940-1950: 337th most popular.
1950-1960: 305th most popular.
1960-1970: 576th most popular.
1970-2000: N/A

In France...
1900-1990: N/A
1994: 180th most popular.
2000: 80th most popular.

Popularity of Luisa:
Popularity (for newborns):
In the United States...
1900-1910: 504th most popular.
1910-1920: 563rd most popular.
1920-1930: 529th most popular.
1930-1940: 501st most popular.
1940-1950: 604th most popular.
1950-1960: 797th most popular.
1960-1970: 948th most popular.
1970-1980: 982nd most popular.
1980-1990: 904th most popular.
1990: 770th most popular.
1991: 804th most popular.
1992: 835th most popular.
1993: 829th most popular.
1994: 922nd most popular.
1995: 869th most popular.
1996: 908th most popular.
1997: N/A
1998: 964th most popular.
1999: 861st most popular.
2000: 948th most popular.
2001: N/A
2002: 950th most popular.
2003: N/A

Popularity of Louella:
Popularity (for newborns):
In the United States...
1900-1910: 425th most popular.
1910-1920: 441st most popular.
1920-1930: 436th most popular.
1930-1940: 464th most popular.
1940-1950: 564th most popular.
1950-2000: N/A

Popularity of Louann:
Popularity (for newborns):
In the United States...
1900-1950: N/A
1950-1960: 745th most popular.
1960-1970: 939th most popular.
1970-2000: N/A

Popularity of Lulu:
Popularity (for newborns):
In the United States...
1900-1910: 291st most popular.
1910-1920: 460th most popular.
1920-1930: 733rd most popular.
1930-1940: 880th most popular.
1940-2000: N/A

Popularity of Ouida:
Popularity (for newborns):
In the United States...
1900-1910: 795th most popular.
1910-1920: 762nd most popular.
1920-1930: 688th most popular.
1930-1940: 794th most popular.
1940-2000: N/A

Popularity of Louisette:
Popularity (for newborns):
In France...
1900-1910:N/A
1914: 186th most popular.
1920: 140th most popular.
1930: 96th most popular.
1940: 87th most popular.
1950: 119th most popular.
1959: 185th most popular.
1960-2000: N/A