Names Ending in U for Girls

  1. Lou
    • Origin:

      Short form of Louise
    • Meaning:

      "renowned warrior"
    • Description:

      Lou is usually a short form of Louise, Louisa, or Lucy in English-speaking countries, when Lou is used for girls at all. But in France and Germany, it's a fashionable choice all on its own, sure to gain even more widespread style credibility since Heidi Klum and Seal chose it for their daughter.
  2. Lulu
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Louise or Lucy, or Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "pearl"
    • Description:

      Lula has a firecracker personality, a singing and dancing extrovert. Interesting that Lulu was a Top 100 name when the Social Security list was born in 1880, but it's been sliding ever since and has not been in the Top 1000 for decades. Modern parents in love with Lulu might well reverse that trend.
  3. Lilou
    • Origin:

      Occitan pet form of French Liliane
    • Meaning:

      "lily"
    • Description:

      Lilou is a charming, rarely heard import. Occitan is a language spoken in Provence, in the south of France, in which the suffix "ou" denotes a pet form — thus, Lilou as a short form of Liliane or its Occitan form Liliana or Liliano. Its popularity in France--where it's currently Number 12--can be traced to the 1997 film The Fifth Element.
  4. Zuzu
    • Origin:

      Czech diminutive of Susan
    • Meaning:

      "lily"
    • Description:

      This sizzling nickname Zuzu is heard every Christmas as the name of Jimmy Stewart's little girl in "It's a Wonderful Life," but we love it all year round as a lively alternative to double names like Gigi and Bibi.

  5. Bijou
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "jewel"
    • Description:

      Bijou is a name that lives up to its definition -- a real jewel. Warning: not unheard of on poodles' dog collars. Actress Bijou Phillips is its best known bearer. It can also be spelled Bijoux.
  6. Isabeau
    • Origin:

      French variation of Isabel
    • Meaning:

      "pledged to God"
    • Description:

      With Isabel getting so popular, parents are searching for new varieties of the name, and Isabeau is one that makes a lovely French twist.
  7. Malou
    • Origin:

      Combination of Mary and Lou
    • Meaning:

      "bitter; renowned warrior"
    • Description:

      This charming name, popular in France and the Netherlands, has not traveled to the U.S. yet but would make a modern way to honor grandma Mary or Louise, or as a perfect short form of Mary Louise. Or, with the growing fashion for nickname names, it can stand perfect well on its own. One of several similar variations — Lou, Lilou, Louane — in vogue in Europe.
  8. Beau
    • Milou
      • Origin:

        Combination of Marie and Lou or Louise
      • Description:

        Milou and her near-identical twin Malou are adorable names popular throughout Europe; they're contractions of Marie or Mary and Lou or Louise. The Malou spelling will probably be easier for English speakers to pronounce; Milou may be conflated with Milo.
    • Yuyu
      • Origin:

        Japanese
      • Meaning:

        "gentle friend; dream friend"
      • Description:

        Cute and nicknamey girl name with a great meaning to boot.
    • Mirabeau
      • Origin:

        French
      • Meaning:

        "wonderful, miraculous"
      • Description:

        The grandiose name of a French revolutionary – in full: Honoré Gabriel Riqueti, comte de Mirabeau. Mirabeau likely derives from Latin mirabilis, making it a masculine cousin of Mirabelle.
    • Bleu
      • Origin:

        French
      • Meaning:

        "blue"
      • Description:

        The middle name of the Travoltas' Ella, this French color alternative hasn't caught on with many other parents.
    • Danu
      • Origin:

        Celtic, goddess of fruitfulness
      • Description:

        This sprightly Irish mythology name would make an attention-grabbing choice.
    • Nilou
      • Origin:

        Variation of Niloufar, Persian
      • Meaning:

        "water lily, lotus"
      • Description:

        This delightful, lovable Persian name is typically reserved as a nickname for Niloufar. It rhymes with Lilou, the utterly charming French nickname.
    • Malu
      • Origin:

        Hawaiian
      • Meaning:

        "peace"
      • Description:

        Malu is a charming Hawaiian name chosen by ex-Talking Head David Byrne for his daughter. Malu might also be an abbreviated form of Malou, which is an abbreviated form of Mary Louise. Malu or Malou might be a retro-chic nickname for a child given the family names of Mary and/or Louise.
    • Marylou
      • Origin:

        English, combination of Mary and Lou
      • Meaning:

        "drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved + famous battle"
      • Description:

        Truncated form of Marylouise.
    • Taru
      • Origin:

        Finnish, variation of Tarja
      • Meaning:

        "epic; kingly, possesses well"
      • Description:

        Taru is both the Finnish word for "epic," making it a translation of the Swedish name Saga, and a pet form of Tarja, the Finnish form of Daria.
    • Gugu
      • Origin:

        Zulu, Xhosa, Ndebele
      • Meaning:

        "treasure"
      • Description:

        Gugu is derived from the word igugu, meaning "treasure." It's commonly used as a nickname for Gugulethu.
    • Arzu
      • Origin:

        Turkish, Azerbaijani and Uyghur form of Arezou, Persian
      • Meaning:

        "desire"
      • Description:

        Arzu was once a popular baby name in Turkey, ranking as high as Number 14 in 1980. Now, it's more of a Turkish mom name, although it remains a common choice for babies in Azerbaijan, where Arzu has been in the Top 100 since records began in 2015.
    • Anzu
      • Origin:

        Japanese
      • Meaning:

        "apricot"
      • Description:

        A representative Japanese name with a meaning symbolizing ripeness.