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 name Louis experienced significant fluctuations in popularity over the course of 143 years, with a total of 403,535 babies named Louis during this period. The name reached its peak popularity between 1912 and 1927, with birth counts ranging from 3,591 to 6,817 annually. However, after the 1920s, the number of babies named Louis began to decline steadily. By the early 2000s, fewer than 1,000 babies were named Louis each year. Despite this decrease in popularity, Louis has remained a relatively common name, with over 900 births recorded annually since 2010.