Home / Name Directory / Lou
How Many People Are Named Lou?
Estimated people named Lou living in the U.S. today
16,507
Gender distribution
14% male · 86% female in SSA records.
Name scorecard
- Total U.S. births recorded (1880–2024): 38,049
- Peak year: 1954 (1,547 births)
- Estimated living today: 16,507
Lou by age group — who carries the name today?
Lou popularity over time (1880–2024)
Estimated living bearers by birth decade
About the name Lou
Lou has been recorded by the Social Security Administration since the 19th century dataset began. In total, 38,049 babies were given the name in the United States between 1880 and 2024. After adjusting each birth cohort for survival to today, an estimated 16,507 bearers are still living — roughly 1 in 20,706 Americans. The name's strongest decade shapes how old most Lous you meet will be, which the age-group breakdown above shows directly. All figures are statistical estimates from public records; see our methodology for sources, the survival model, and the limits of the data (names given to fewer than five babies in a year are not published by the SSA).
Frequently asked questions
How many people are named Lou in the US?
An estimated 16,507 people named Lou are living in the United States today, based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024 adjusted for survival. That makes Lou rare — about 1 in 20,706 Americans.
Is Lou a boy or girl name?
In SSA records, Lou is 14% male and 86% female, so it is predominantly a female name.
When was Lou most popular?
Lou peaked in 1954, when 1,547 babies were given the name. Its current trend is rising compared with the previous decade.
How rare is the name Lou?
Lou ranks #1,776 of 104,819 first names recorded by the SSA, with a rarity score of 51 out of 100 (higher means rarer).