Louis (given name)

Louis is the French form of the Old Frankish given name Chlodwig and one of two English forms, the other being Lewis ().

Etymology

The name Louis (through the intermediate form Clovis) is derived from the Frankish name ᚺᛚᛟᛞᛟᚹᛁᚷ (in runic alphabet) or *Hlōdowik or *Hlōdowig (in Latin alphabet). Traditionally, this name is considered to be composed of two elements, derived from both Proto-Germanic *hlūdaz ("loud, famous") and *wiganą ("to battle, to fight") respectively, resulting in the traditional practice of translating Clovis' name as meaning "famous warrior" or "famous in battle".

However, scholars have pointed out that Gregory of Tours consequently transcribes the names of various Merovingian royal names containing the first element as chlodo-. The use of a close-mid back protruded vowel (o), rather than the expected close back rounded vowel (u) which Gregory does use in various other Germanic names (i.e. Fredegundis, Arnulfus, Gundobadus, etc.) opens up the possibility that the first element instead derives from Proto-Germanic *hlutą ("lot, share, portion"), giving the meaning of the name as "loot bringer" or "plunder (bringing) warrior". This hypothesis is supported by the fact that if the first element is taken to mean "famous", then the name of Chlodomer (one of Clovis' sons) would contain two elements (*hlūdaz and *mērijaz) both meaning "famous", which would be highly uncommon within the typical Germanic name structure.

Variant forms

Afrikaans: Lodewyk, Ludwig, Louis

Arabic: لويس

Albanian: Luigj, Ludovik

Ancient Germanic: Chlodovech, Clodovicus, Ludovicus, Clovis, Hludowig

Armenian: Լուդովիկ (Loudovik)

Basque: Aloxi, Koldobika, Luki, Koldo

Breton: Loeiz, Loïc

Bengali: লুইস, লুডউইগ, romanized: Luis/Luish, Luduig

Bulgarian: Людовик (Lyudovik)

Catalan: Lluís

Chinese: 路易 (Lùyì)

Croatian: Alojzije, Ljudevit, Ludovik, Luj, Alojz

Czech: Ludvík, Alois, Luděk

Danish: Ludvig, Lodvig

Dutch: Lodewijk, Lode, Loe, Lowieke, Ludo

English: Louis, Louie, Lou, Lewis, Lewes, Lewie, Lew, Lewy or Luey; Ludovic, Lodvig, Lodovig, Lutwidge

Esperanto: Ludoviko, Luĉjo

Faroese: Ludvík

French: Louis, Ludovic, Clovis

Galician: Lois, Luís

Georgian: ხლოდვიგი (Khlodvigi), ლუდვიგი (ludvigi), ლუდოვიკო(ludoviko), ლუი (lui)

German: Ludwig, Alois, Aloysius, Lutz

Greek: Λουδοβίκος (Loudovíkos), Λοΐζος(Loizos)

Hawaiian: Lui

Hindi: लुइस (Lu'is)

Hungarian: Lajos, Alajos

Irish: Alaois, Alabhaois, Laoiseach, Lughaidh

Indonesian: Aloysius, Louis, Ludowikus, Luis

Icelandic: Loðvík

Italian: Aloigi, Aloisio, Luigi, Lodovico, Ludovico, Gigi, Gigio, Gigino, Gino, Luigino, Vico

Venetian: Alvise

Lombard: Ginetto

Japanese: ルイ(Rui)

Korean: 루이 (Lui), 루이스 (Luiseu)

Latin: Ludovicus, Aloysius

Latvian: Ludviķis, Ludis, Ludvigs, Luijs, Luiss, Luī, Aloizs, Aloiss

Lithuanian: Liudvikas, Aloyzas, Liudas

Macedonian: Лудвиг (Ludvig), Луј (Luj), Људевит (Ljudevit)

Medieval Occitan: Aloys, Aloysius

Norwegian: Ludvig, Lodve

Occitan: Loís

Persian: لویی

Polish: Ludwik, Alojzy

Portuguese: Luís, Aloísio, Aluísio, Ludovico (Luiz is an archaic form), Luisinho

Provençal: Louïs, Louei, Louvis

Punjabi: ਲੂਯਿਸ (Lūyis)

Romanian: Aloisiu, Ludovic

Russian: Людовик (Lyudovik)

Scottish Gaelic: Luthais

Sicilian: Luiggi, Ludovicu

Serbian: Луј (Luj), Људевит (Ljudevit)

Slovak: Ľudovít, Alojz

Slovene: Alojz, Lojze, Ljudevit, Luj, Alojzij, Ludvik

Spanish: Luis, Ludovico

Swedish: Ludvig, Love, Ludde

Tamil: லூயிஸ் (Lūyis)

Telugu: లూయిస్ (Lūyis)

Thai: หลุยส์ (H̄luys̄̒)

Ukrainian: Людовик (Lyudovyk)

Welsh: Lewis, Lewys

Feminine variants

Arabic: لويز

Belarusian: Луіза (Luiza)

Chinese Simplified: 路易丝 (Lùyìsī)

Chinese Traditional: 路易絲 (Lùyìsī)

Croatian: Alojzija

Danish: Louise

Dutch: Louisa, Louise, Ludovica

English: Louise, Louisa, Lou, Louella, Lula, Luella, Lulu, Lua

Estonian: Loviise

Finnish: Loviisa

French: Lou, Louise, Louisette

German: Aloisia, Louisa, Luise, Lulu, Luisa

Greek: Λουίζα (Louíza)

Gujarati: લુઇસ (Lu'isa)

Hebrew: לואיז

Hindi: लुइस (Lu'isa)

Hungarian: Lujza

Italian: Lodovica, Ludovica, Luigia, Luisa, Gigia, Gina, Ginetta, Luigina, Luisella

Japanese: ルイーザ (Ruīza), ルイ (Rui)

Kannada: ಲೂಯಿಸ್ (Lūyis)

Korean: 루이사 (Luisa)

Lithuanian: Liudvika

Maori: Ruiha

Macedonian: Лујза (Lujza), Лојза (Lojza)

Mongolian: Луиза (Luiza)

Nepali: लुइस (Lu'isa)

Norwegian: Lovise

Persian: لوئیس

Polish: Ludwika, Luiza

Portuguese: Luisa, Luiza

Romanian: Luiza

Serbian: Луиз (Luiz)

Slovak: Alojzia

Slovene: Alojzija

Spanish: Luisa, Luisana, Luisel, Luisina, Luisita

Swedish: Lovisa, Lova

Tamil: லூயிஸ் (Lūyis)

Telugu: లూయిస్ ( Lūyis)

Thai: หลุยส์ (H̄luys̄̒)

Ukrainian: Луїза (Luyiza)

Urdu: لوئیس

Arts and entertainment

Louis (singer) (1952–2011), Serbian singer

Louis Anthony deLise (born 1949), American composer, arranger, and record producer

Louis Akin (1868–1913), American painter and illustrator

Lou Albano (1933–2009), Italian wrestler, manager and actor

Louie Anderson (1953–2022), American stand-up comedian and actor

Louis Armstrong (1901–1971), American jazz musician

Louis Bannet (1911–2002), Dutch trumpeter

Louis C.K. (born 1967), American comedian

Louis Cachet (born 1973), Norwegian musician

Louis Calabro (1926–1991), Italian American orchestral composer

Louis Calhern (1895–1956), American actor

Louis Cheung (born 1980), Hong Kong singer, songwriter, and actor

Louis Clark (1947–2021), English musical arranger and keyboard player

Louis Cole (born 1983), English YouTuber

Louis Cole (born 1986), American musician

Lou Costello (1906–1959), American comedian

Louis Daguerre (1787–1851), French artist and photographer

Louis Deland (1772–1823), Swedish ballet dancer, singer, actor, choreographer and ballet master

Lou Dobbs (1945–2024), CNN anchor

Louis C. Elson (1848–1920), music critic, music historian, author, composer, editor, journalist, and professor of music theory

Lou Ferrigno (born 1951), American bodybuilder and actor

Louis Edwin Fry Sr. (1903–2000), American architect and professor

Louis Gallodier (1734–1803), ballet master and choreographer

Louis Gossett Jr. (1936–2024), American actor

Louis Hughes (1832–1913), American author

Louis Johnson (bassist) (1955–2015), American bass player and singer, member of The Brothers Johnson

Louis Jordan (1908–1975), pioneering American jazz, blues and rhythm & blues musician and songwriter

Louis Jourdan (1921–2015), French actor

Louis Jouvet (1887–1951), French actor and director

Louis I. Kahn (1901–1974), American architect

Louis Koo (born 1970), Hong Kong actor, singer and film producer

Louis L'Amour (1908–1988), American author of Western fiction

Louis Logic, American underground rapper

Louis Masreliez (1748–1810), French-born Swedish painter and interior designer

Louis Pearl (born 1958), American entertainer, known as "The Amazing Bubble Man"

Louis Prima (1910–1978), Italian American jazz and swing musician and trumpeter

Louis Rukeyser (1933–2006), American economic commentator

Lou Diamond Phillips (born 1962), American actor

Lou Rawls (1933–2006), American musician

Lou Reed (1942–2013), American musician

Louis Sachar (born 1954), American author of children's books

Louis Spohr (1784–1859), German composer

Louis Sullivan (1856–1924), American architect

Louis Theroux (born 1970), British television broadcaster

Louis Tomlinson (born 1991), English singer-songwriter.