Louisa

Several classic male names have equally-classic feminine counterparts. These include Charles and Charlotte, Patrick and Patricia. However, some of these names are lesser known; one example is Louisa.

Louisa is the Latin feminine form of the classic boys' name Louis, itself the French form of Ludwig, which means "famous battle." It, along with French counterpart Louise, entered the English-speaking world in the 1600s. Louisa was popular in Victorian England, peaking in the top 20 around 1860. The name might have also been popular in the United States around the time. Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888) penned her most famous novel, Little Women, in late 1860s America. 

Louisa began declining during the late nineteenth century. It left the New Zealand top 100 during the 1910s and the English top 100 by 1920. Louisa was never a top 100 choice in the United States, but it was already declining in 1880. Hence, as stated above, Louisa may have been more popular before then. The name fell out of the top 1000 in 1970 and hit its low point of 73 girls in 1988.

In the United States, Louise reached its peak while Louisa declined. A century later, both names are coming back. Louisa returned to the American top 1000 in 2014 and is holding steady between the 600s and 900s. However, Louise has been rising more consistently. 

Louisa has dropped from the 100s in England, where it is also due for revival. There is no clear reason for Louisa's delayed comeback. The case might be that Louise was a top 100 pick in England a generation ago, but that did not stop Julia from overshadowing Julie. Besides, it would definitely not explain Louisa's slow revival in the United States. 

Louisa may not be popular among English-speakers, but Louisa has recently been at least somewhat common in Belgium, Germany, France, and Switzerland. 

Overall, Louisa is an elegant literary classic with old-fashioned charm that is unlikely to become too popular anytime soon. It makes for a great substitute for popular names like Sophia.


VARIANTS:

Louise, Lovisa, Luisa


NICKNAMES:

Lou, Lulu


STYLES:

Artistic, Elegant, Timeless, Vintage


SISTERS:

Beatrice, Charlotte, Estella, Georgia, Josephine, Leona, Matilda, Petra, Rosalie, Virginia


BROTHERS:

Benedict, Conrad, Emerson, Frederick, Hugh, Julius, Leopold, Oliver, Reuben, Theodore


ALTERNATIVES:

Augusta, Eloisa, Lenora, Luella, Rosalind, Susanna, Theresa, Thomasina


FURTHER RESOURCES:

"Baby Name: Louisa." Girl Names, Nancy's Baby Names, 2023, https://www.nancy.cc/baby-name/louisa/. 

"Louisa." Names, Behind the Name, 16 Nov. 2019, https://www.behindthename.com/name/louisa. 

Waterhouse, Emma. "Louisa." Names, Nameberry, 23 Aug. 2023, https://nameberry.com/babyname/louisa. 


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