Lulu
A diminutive form of Louise or Louisa, meaning "famous warrior".
Name Census estimates that about 1,961 living Americans carry the first name Lulu. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Lulu today is around 38 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Lulu births was 1886 (376 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Lulu. 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.
People living today
2.0K
~ 1 in 174,785 Americans
Peak year
1886
376 babies that year
Average age
38
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,464
Tracked since 1880
Popularity
Lulu: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Lulu from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 15 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1880s, with 3,253 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1880s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Lulu 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 Lulu during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Lulus live
The SSA's state-level files cover 31 states and territories. New York, Pennsylvania, California recorded the most babies named Lulu, while South Dakota, Oregon, Kentucky recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 73 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Lulu
The name Lulu has its origins in the French language, originating as a diminutive or pet form of the name Louise. The name Louise itself derives from the Germanic name Hlodvig, which was composed of the elements hlud (meaning "famous") and wig (meaning "battle" or "warrior").
Initially, Lulu was likely used as a shortened and affectionate version of Louise, particularly in the 18th and 19th centuries. The name gained popularity in its own right and became a distinct given name, especially in English-speaking countries.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lulu can be found in the ancient Greek play "The Clouds" by Aristophanes, written in 423 BC. In the play, the character Strepsiades refers to a woman named Lulu, suggesting the name's use in ancient Greece.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Lulu. One of the most famous was Lulu (c. 1868–1913), an American circus performer and sideshow entertainer known as the "African Elephant Girl." She was born with a rare condition called dermatosis histrionica, which caused her skin to become thick and grayish in appearance.
Another notable Lulu was Lulu White (1868–1949), an American vaudeville performer and actress who appeared in several silent films during the early 20th century. She was known for her comedic roles and her ability to perform a "split kick" while wearing a full-length dress.
In the literary world, Lulu was the name of the central character in the two plays "Earth Spirit" and "Pandora's Box" by German playwright Frank Wedekind (1864–1918). These plays, written in the early 20th century, explored themes of feminism, sexuality, and societal norms.
Another notable Lulu was Lulu Stafford (1929–2010), an American stage and television actress best known for her roles in the soap operas "General Hospital" and "The Doctors." She had a successful career spanning over six decades in the entertainment industry.
Finally, Lulu Kennedy-Cairns (born 1948), better known as Lulu, is a Scottish singer, actress, and television personality. She rose to fame in the 1960s with her hit single "Shout" and has had a long-lasting career in the music industry, receiving numerous awards and honors.
People
Lulu + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Lulu 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
Lulu: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lulu?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,961 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Lulu 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 174,785 US residents.
Is Lulu a common name?
We classify Lulu as "Rare". It ranks above 93.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 12,656 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Lulu most popular?
The single biggest year for Lulu was 1886, when 376 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Lulu is about 38 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Lulu a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Lulu in the SSA data are female. 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.
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.