Louise

French and English, feminine variation of Louis
"renowned warrior"

Louise Origin and Meaning

The name Louise is a girl's name of French origin meaning "renowned warrior".

Louise has for several decades now been seen as competent, studious, and efficient—desirable if not dramatic qualities. But now along with a raft of other L names, as well as cousin Eloise, Louise is up for reappreciation—sleek and chic, stylish in Paris, and starting to become so in the US as well. Louisa is perhaps more in tune with the times, but Louise has more edge. Louise has been on the rise lately, and reentered the US Top 1000 for the first time in a quarter century in 2016.

Louise has been a royal name in several countries, including Denmark, Sweden, France and England: currently Queen Elizabeth has a granddaughter named Louise via her son Prince Edward. It has been a staple on the Top 10 lists in Belgium and France in recent years.

Among her most notable bearers: iconic film actress Louise Brooks and modern sculptors Louise Bourgeois and Louise Nevelson. Louise is the middle name of both Madonna and Meryl Streep, and Louise was the character played by Susan Sarandon in the feminist road movie Thelma and Louise.

And there's also a nature reference—the beautiful Lake Louise in the Canadian Rockies. Louise is one of many classic names newly fashionable as one of the trendy girls' names starting with L.

# 586 in the US

Louise Rank in US Top 1000

# 118 on Nameberry

Louise Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

Louise Popularity

Famous People Named Louise

  • Louise of Mecklenburg
    Strelitz (born Luise Auguste Wilhelmine Amalie), Queen consort of Frederick William III of Prussia
  • Louise of Hesse
    Kassel (born Luise Wilhelmine Friederike Caroline Auguste Julie von Hessen,Kassel), Queen consort of Christian IX of Denmark
  • Louise of Lorraine
    Queen consort of Henry III of France
  • Louise of Great Britain
    Queen consort of Frederick V of Denmark and Norway; daughter of George II
  • Louise Marie Thérèse Charlotte Isabelle of Orléans
    Queen consort of Leopold I of the Belgians
  • Louise of the Netherlands (born Wilhelmina Frederika Alexandrine Anna Louise)
    Queen consort of Charles XV of Sweden and IV of Norway
  • Louise Josephine Eugenie of Sweden
    Queen consort of Frederick VIII of Denmark
  • Louise of Mecklenburg
    Güstrow, Queen consort of Frederick IV of Denmark and Norway
  • Louise Caroline Alberta of the United Kingdom
    Duchess of Argyll, daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe,Coburg and Gotha
  • Louise Victoria Alexandra Dagmar
    Princess Royal, Duchess of Fife; daughter of Edward VII of the United Kingdom; granddaughter of Queen Victoria
  • Louise Farrenc
    French composer, pianist, and teacher
  • Louise "Lou" Teasdale
    British makeup artist
  • Louise de Kerouaille
    Duchess of Portsmouth, mistress of King Charles II of England
  • Louise Le Brun
    French painter
  • Louise Fitzhugh
    American novelist
  • (Mary) Louise Brooks
    American dancer and actress
  • Louise Bourgeois
    French,American sculptor
  • Louise van der Vorst
    Australian model
  • Louise Simonson (born Mary Louise Alexander)
    American comic book writer
  • Louise Lasser
    American actress
  • (Estelle) Louise Fletcher
    American actress
  • (Marie) Louise of France
    Duchess of Parma
  • Louise Jameson
    English actress
  • Louise Lombard
    English actress
  • Louise Thompson
    British reality TV personality ""Made In Chelsea""
  • Louise "Loo" Brealey
    English actress and journalist
  • Louise Nevelson
    American sculptor
  • (Karen) Louise Erdrich
    American novelist
  • Louise Gold
    English singer, actress and puppeteer
  • Louise Alexandra Pentland
    British beauty vlogger
  • Martha Louise
    Princess of Norway, daughter of Harald V of Norway
  • Aretha Louise Franklin
    American musician
  • Louise Goffin
    daughter of musicians Carole King and Gerry Goffin
  • Louise Alice Elizabeth Mary Mountbatten
    Windsor (b. 2003), daughter of the Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex; granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II
  • Louise Sophie Mary (b. 2004)
    Princess of Belgiumouille
  • Louise Lynn Hay
    American motivational author and the founder of Hay House, she has authored several New Thought self,help books, including the 1984 book, You Can Heal Your Life
  • Louise Brown
    the world's first human to be concieved via in vitro fertilization
  • Louise Canet (b. 2017)
    daughter of Marion Cotillard and Guillaume Canet.
  • Louise Post
    vocalist of Veruca Salt

Louise in Pop Culture

  • Louise Tate
    character on TV's "Bewitched"
  • Louise Elizabeth Sawyer
    character in movie "Thelma & Louise"
  • Louise Grant
    character on TV's "Gilmore Girls"
  • Louise Belcher
    character on animated series "Bob's Burgers"
  • Louise Miller
    character in movie "Teen Witch"
  • Jean Louise "Scout" Finch
    character in book/movie "To Kill a Mockingbird"
  • Louise Goldufski
    character on TV's "The Conners"
  • Shannon Louise "Lolly" Allen
    character on Australian soap "Neighbours"
  • Louise from St. Louis
    character in film "Sex and the City"
  • Samantha Louise "Lou
    " main character on TV's "Heartland"
  • Louise Jefferson
    character on TV's "The Jeffersons"
  • Louise "Lou" Friedman
    character in movie "Blended"
  • Louise Mitchell
    character on British soap opera “Eastenders”
  • "Liza and Louise" and "Louise
    " songs by punk band NOFX
  • "Visions of Johanna
    " a song by Bob Dylan contrasts two lovers, the carnal Louise, and "the more spiritual but unattainable" Johanna. Johanna and Louise are objects of desire and yearning. "It is their elusiveness and unreality that's the point."
  • "Hey Louise
    " song by Neil Diamond (Oh ma cherie, do you know my name?I remember yours and I know what you need / What you need my Louise)
  • "Louise
    " popular song (Every little breeze seems to whisper Louise / Birds in the trees twitter Louise / Each little rose tells me it knows I love you)
  • "Louise du Brésil
    " song by Liniker and the Caramelows
  • "Louise
    " song by Gers Pardoel
  • "Louise
    " song by Bonnie Raitt
  • "Cherokee Louise
    " song by Joni Mitchell
  • Louise Kendall
    character in "My Cousin Rachel"
  • Louise Banks
    main character in the film "Arrival"

Louise in Nameberry Blog Posts