NameCensus.

UK name, mostly girls

Lois

Feminine name of French origin meaning "renowned battle-maiden".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Lois is mostly registered for girls in the UK records. People looking for Lois popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #374, with 115 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2008, with 507 births.

This profile covers 9,816 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 23% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 11,160 living people in the UK are called Lois. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Lois ranked #374 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 115 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2008, when 507 girls were registered as Lois.
  • Lois ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #288 in 2024.
  • About 11,160 living people in the UK are estimated to have Lois as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
  • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 100.0% of Lois registrations are for girls.

Latest rank (E&W)

#374

2024

Births in 2024

115

Latest year

Peak year

2008

507 births

Estimated living

11,160

2026

Gender

Boy and girl registrations for Lois

In England and Wales birth records, Lois has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 0.0% of registrations are for boys and 100.0% are for girls.

These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.

100% girls
Boys4 (0.0%)Girls9,816 (100.0%)

Lois registered for boys

  • Ranked #3,937 in 2019
  • 4 boys registered in 2019
  • Peak: 2019 (4 births)

Lois registered for girls

  • Ranked #374 in 2024
  • 115 girls registered in 2024
  • Peak: 2008 (507 births)

Meaning

What does Lois mean?

The name Lois originated from the French language and is derived from the Germanic name Lodis or Lodewijc. It is a feminine form of the masculine name Louis, which can be traced back to the Old Frankish Hlodowig, where "hlod" means "famous" and "wig" means "warrior" or "battle." Hence, the name Lois carries the meaning "famous warrior" or "famous in battle."

Lois has been a popular name throughout history, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the Middle Ages. It was particularly common among the French nobility and was used by several prominent figures in French history. One notable example is Lois de Bourbon, the daughter of Robert de France, who lived in the 13th century.

In the realm of literature, the name Lois appears in several works from the 16th and 17th centuries, such as the plays of William Shakespeare and the poetry of John Milton. However, it is worth noting that during this time, the spelling of the name often varied, with variations like Loyse and Loyce being used.

Moving into the modern era, several notable women have borne the name Lois. One of the most famous is Lois Lane, the love interest of the fictional character Superman, first introduced in the comic books of the 1930s. In the world of politics, Lois Capps served as a United States Representative from California from 1998 to 2017.

Other notable figures with the name Lois include:

1. Lois Mailou Jones (1905-1998), an influential African American artist and teacher. 2. Lois Lowry (born 1937), an acclaimed American writer best known for her novel "The Giver." 3. Lois McMaster Bujold (born 1949), an American author of science fiction and fantasy novels. 4. Lois Maxwell (1927-2007), a Canadian actress best known for portraying Miss Moneypenny in the James Bond film series. 5. Lois Wilson (1894-1988), an American actress and one of the most prominent leading ladies of the silent film era.

Throughout its history, the name Lois has maintained a distinct charm and elegance, reflecting its roots in the language of warriors and nobility. Its enduring popularity across various cultures and eras serves as a testament to its timeless appeal.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Lois over time

The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Lois in England and Wales, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Lois, the clearest high point is 2008. The latest England and Wales figure is 115 births in 2024, compared with 507 at the peak.

Babies born per year

BoysGirls
0127254380507199620102024

Decades

Lois by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Lois was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #322 709 5
2010s #166 3,511 10
2000s #127 4,049 10
1990s #124 1,547 4

Geography

Where Lois is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Lois. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Lois ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #288 in 2024.

Scotland
12
Northern Ireland
5

Across the UK

Lois in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#295 in 2024

51 years of NRS records, 1,110 total registered

Northern Ireland (NISRA)

#288 in 2024

28 years of NISRA records, 299 total registered

Notable bearers

Famous people named Lois

  • Lois Turnbull

    badminton player

    badminton player

    2003-

  • Lois Leaver

    canoeist

    British kayaker

    2002-

  • Lois Joel

    association football player

    Welsh footballer

    1999-

  • Lois Regan

    association football player

    1998-

  • Lois Roche

    association football player

    Association football player (born 1993)

    1993-

  • Lois Forsell

    rugby league player

    English rugby league footballer

    1991-

  • Lois Rosindale

    triathlete

    British triathlete

    1990-

  • Lois Maynard

    association football player

    English footballer (born 1989)

    1989-

Related

Names similar to Lois

FAQ

Lois: questions and answers

How popular is the name Lois in the UK right now?

In 2024, Lois was ranked #374 for girls in England and Wales, with 115 births registered.

When was Lois most popular?

The peak year on record was 2008, with 507 babies registered as Lois in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Lois?

Feminine name of French origin meaning "renowned battle-maiden".

How many people are called Lois in the UK?

A total of 9,816 babies have been registered as Lois across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 1,110 more in Scotland and 299 in Northern Ireland.

Where is Lois most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Lois ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #288 in 2024. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.