Louca
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "brilliant" or "shining".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Louca. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Louca today is around 8 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Louca births was 2018 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Louca. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Louca with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Louca. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2018
5 babies that year
Average age
8
years old
2018 SSA rank
#13,376
Tracked since 2018
Popularity
Louca: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Louca by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Louca during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Louca
The name Louca originated from the Portuguese language, with its roots tracing back to the Latin word "locus," meaning "place" or "location." This name gained prominence during the Middle Ages in the Iberian Peninsula, particularly in Portugal and parts of Spain.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Louca can be found in medieval Portuguese literature, where it was used as a nickname or byname for individuals associated with a specific place or region. Over time, it transitioned into a given name in its own right.
In the 15th century, the name Louca gained historical significance when Louca Fernandes, a Portuguese explorer and navigator, accompanied Vasco da Gama on his epic voyage to India in 1498. Fernandes played a crucial role in establishing trade routes and facilitating cultural exchanges between Portugal and the Indian subcontinent.
Another notable figure bearing the name Louca was Louca Dias Quintanilha, a 16th-century Portuguese poet and humanist. Quintanilha's works were widely acclaimed for their lyrical beauty and philosophical depth, contributing to the flourishing of Renaissance literature in Portugal.
In the realm of religion, the name Louca has been associated with several individuals throughout history. One such figure was Louca de Cáceres, a 17th-century Spanish nun and mystic known for her profound spiritual writings and devotion to the Catholic faith.
Moving into the modern era, Louca Anastassakis, a Greek-Brazilian architect and designer born in 1976, gained recognition for her innovative and sustainable architectural projects. Her work has been celebrated for its ability to blend contemporary design with traditional elements, reflecting the cultural diversity of her heritage.
Louca Mertiri, an Albanian poet and writer born in 1938, is another prominent figure associated with this name. Mertiri's literary works, often inspired by the rich folklore and landscapes of his homeland, have earned him numerous accolades and a lasting legacy in Albanian literature.
These are just a few examples of the individuals who have carried the name Louca throughout history, each leaving their mark in various fields and contributing to the cultural tapestry of their respective societies.
People
Louca + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Louca as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with L
Other first names starting with L with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Louca: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Louca?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Louca going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Louca a common name?
We classify Louca as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Louca most popular?
The single biggest year for Louca was 2018, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Louca is about 8 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Louca in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Louca a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Louca in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Louca still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Louca in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Louca can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people share the name Louca?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.