Lois Girl

Popularity: #824 · Trend: ↗ Rising

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: LOH-iss //ˈloʊ.ɪs//

Origin: Hebrew; Greek

Meaning: Hebrew: 'God's promise'; Greek: 'victorious'

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Lois has its roots in the Greek language, derived from the name Λοΐς (Loïs). The etymology of Lois can be traced back to the Hebrew name לֵיְלָה (Leila), which means "night." This Hebrew name was adapted into Greek, where it appeared in the New Testament of the Bible, specifically in the Second Epistle to Timothy, written by the Apostle Paul in the first century CE.

In this context, Lois is mentioned as the grandmother of Timothy, a significant figure in early Christianity, which helped to elevate the name's status in Christian communities. Throughout history, the name Lois has been associated with various cultural and religious figures.

The mention of Lois in the New Testament contributed to its adoption in Christian contexts, particularly in Europe during the Middle Ages. The name was further popularized through translations of the Bible and other religious texts, where it was often used in the context of familial and virtuous qualities, reflecting the values of loyalty and faithfulness.

The name also appeared in various forms in different languages, including the French form Louise, which became popular in medieval France and later spread to other regions. Culturally, Lois has been associated with themes of wisdom and nurturing, largely due to its biblical connections.

The name has been embraced in literature and arts, often symbolizing strength and maternal qualities. In addition, diminutive forms like Lottie or Lou have emerged, showcasing the name's adaptability across cultures and languages.

Overall, Lois carries a rich historical and cultural significance, rooted in its biblical origins and the values it represents.

Famous people named Lois

In this section, you will find notable people named Lois. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Lois who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Lois who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Lois Lowry is an author best known for The Giver, Number the Stars, and The Messenger.

Lois Griffin is a fictional character best known as the matriarch of the Griffin family in the animated television series Family Guy.

Lois Lane is a fictional character best known as a reporter and love interest of Superman in DC Comics.

Fictional characters named Lois

The following list of fictional characters named Lois is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Lois Lane is a fictional character from the DC Comics universe. She is a determined journalist and the love interest of Superman, often playing a crucial role in his stories.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Lois, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Lois. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Lois was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Lois has ranked as high as #38 nationally, which occurred in 1927, and has been most popular in Pennsylvania, Illinois, Ohio, New York, and Texas.

In the past 5 years the name Lois has been trending up compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Lois is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Lois was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Lois.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 124 0 124
2024 121 0 121
2023 132 0 132
2022 124 0 124
2021 126 6 120
2020 106 0 106
2019 124 0 124
2018 122 0 122
2017 134 0 134
2016 119 0 119
2015 109 0 109
2014 101 0 101
2013 78 0 78
2012 94 0 94
2011 72 0 72
2010 70 0 70
2009 80 0 80
2008 85 0 85
2007 82 0 82
2006 92 5 87
2005 65 0 65
2004 64 0 64
2003 80 7 73
2002 85 0 85
2001 84 0 84
2000 84 6 78
1999 76 0 76
1998 88 0 88
1997 100 0 100
1996 94 0 94
1995 98 0 98
1994 96 0 96
1993 91 0 91
1992 91 6 85
1991 115 6 109
1990 101 8 93
1989 123 6 117
1988 128 8 120
1987 123 13 110
1986 128 5 123
1985 129 0 129
1984 135 0 135
1983 153 5 148
1982 175 0 175
1981 187 0 187
1980 158 5 153
1979 174 0 174
1978 206 5 201
1977 183 0 183
1976 199 10 189
1975 222 0 222
1974 289 5 284
1973 319 8 311
1972 348 5 343
1971 470 10 460
1970 526 9 517
1969 572 7 565
1968 677 8 669
1967 760 5 755
1966 928 10 918
1965 1,211 7 1,204
1964 1,421 13 1,408
1963 1,590 10 1,580
1962 1,794 11 1,783
1961 2,111 8 2,103
1960 2,281 12 2,269
1959 2,497 12 2,485
1958 2,633 7 2,626
1957 2,896 19 2,877
1956 3,236 11 3,225
1955 3,430 12 3,418
1954 3,974 22 3,952
1953 4,239 20 4,219
1952 4,376 15 4,361
1951 4,545 12 4,533
1950 4,521 17 4,504
1949 4,936 21 4,915
1948 5,085 8 5,077
1947 5,740 23 5,717
1946 5,719 19 5,700
1945 5,169 21 5,148
1944 5,562 33 5,529
1943 6,168 36 6,132
1942 6,458 52 6,406
1941 6,143 38 6,105
1940 6,162 37 6,125
1939 6,086 52 6,034
1938 6,554 52 6,502
1937 6,976 44 6,932
1936 7,271 39 7,232
1935 8,047 57 7,990
1934 8,452 65 8,387
1933 8,731 76 8,655
1932 9,607 88 9,519
1931 9,426 78 9,348
1930 10,201 87 10,114
1929 10,372 77 10,295
1928 10,501 76 10,425
1927 10,587 82 10,505
1926 9,872 56 9,816
1925 9,640 67 9,573
1924 9,373 73 9,300
1923 7,889 75 7,814
1922 7,007 61 6,946
1921 6,973 74 6,899
1920 6,616 56 6,560
1919 6,052 76 5,976
1918 5,939 62 5,877
1917 5,544 59 5,485
1916 5,221 72 5,149
1915 4,842 67 4,775
1914 3,490 58 3,432
1913 2,607 47 2,560
1912 2,176 30 2,146
1911 1,519 11 1,508
1910 1,286 15 1,271
1909 1,179 22 1,157
1908 1,039 16 1,023
1907 912 13 899
1906 815 16 799
1905 771 8 763
1904 735 8 727
1903 672 8 664
1902 601 7 594
1901 494 6 488
1900 587 10 577
1899 423 8 415
1898 474 8 466
1897 463 6 457
1896 388 0 388
1895 311 0 311
1894 315 7 308
1893 260 0 260
1892 247 5 242
1891 206 0 206
1890 175 0 175
1889 154 0 154
1888 120 0 120
1887 129 0 129
1886 116 0 116
1885 105 0 105
1884 84 0 84
1883 76 0 76
1882 64 0 64
1881 53 0 53
1880 53 0 53

Top States for Lois (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
CA 13
21%
TX 10
16%
NY 9
15%
VA 8
13%
IN 7
11%
GA 5
8%
MO 5
8%
OH 5
8%