UK boy's name
Luis
A masculine Spanish name derived from the Germanic name Chlodovech meaning "famous warrior".
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.
Luis is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Luis popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #567, with 67 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2005, with 250 births.
This profile covers 3,508 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 27% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 3,735 living people in the UK are called Luis. 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
- • Luis ranked #567 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 67 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2005, when 250 boys were registered as Luis.
- • Luis ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #334 in 2020.
- • About 3,735 living people in the UK are estimated to have Luis as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#567
2024
Births in 2024
67
Latest year
Peak year
2005
250 births
Estimated living
3,735
2026
Meaning
What does Luis mean?
The name Luis has its origins in the Germanic languages, derived from the Old German name Chlodovechus, which was later latinized to Ludovicus. Ludovicus was a compound name, formed by the words "hlud" meaning "famous" and "wig" meaning "warrior" or "fighter". Over time, the name evolved through various forms like Lodewijc, Loduwijk, and eventually became Luis in the Spanish and Portuguese languages.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Luis can be traced back to the 8th century, when it was borne by the Frankish king Clovis I, also known as Louis the Pious or Louis the Fair. He was the founder of the Carolingian dynasty and played a significant role in the spread of Christianity in Western Europe.
The name Luis gained popularity across Europe during the Middle Ages, particularly in regions influenced by the Franks and the Catholic Church. Several notable historical figures bore this name, including Louis IX of France, also known as Saint Louis, who ruled from 1226 to 1270 and led two crusades to the Holy Land.
Another famous Luis was Luis de Camões, the renowned Portuguese poet who lived from 1524 to 1580 and is considered one of the greatest literary figures in the Portuguese language. His epic poem "Os Lusíadas" is a masterpiece that celebrates the Portuguese Age of Discovery.
In Spain, Luis de León, a 16th-century poet, scholar, and theologian, was a prominent figure of the Spanish Renaissance. He was born in 1527 and is remembered for his contributions to Spanish literature and his defense of religious freedom.
Across the Atlantic, Luis de Velasco was a Spanish conquistador and the second viceroy of New Spain (now Mexico) from 1550 to 1564. He played a crucial role in the Spanish colonization of the Americas and the establishment of colonial rule in Mexico.
These are just a few examples of the many notable individuals throughout history who have borne the name Luis, a name with a rich heritage and fascinating linguistic journey from its Germanic roots to its modern usage in various Romance languages.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Luis over time
The chart below shows babies named Luis registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, 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 Luis, the clearest high point is 2005. The latest England and Wales figure is 67 births in 2024, compared with 250 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Luis by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Luis 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 | #454 | 450 | 5 |
| 2010s | #390 | 1,106 | 10 |
| 2000s | #244 | 1,580 | 10 |
| 1990s | #289 | 372 | 4 |
Geography
Where Luis is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Luis. 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.
Luis ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #334 in 2020.
Across the UK
Luis in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#478 in 2024
30 years of NRS records, 196 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#334 in 2020
12 years of NISRA records, 60 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Luis
-
Luis Adlard
association football player
English association football player (born 2002)
2002-
-
Luis Longstaff
association football player
English association football player (born 2001)
2001-
-
Luis Binks
association football player
English footballer
2001-
-
Luis Fernandez
association football player
English association football player (born 2001)
2001-
-
Luis Johnson
rugby league player
British rugby player
1999-
-
Luis Reece
cricketer
English cricketer (born 1990)
1990-
-
Luis Cumbers
association football player
English footballer (born 1988)
1988-
-
Luis Quinn
missionary
Missionary priest
1928-2007
Related
Names similar to Luis
- Luke 72,247
- Lewis 69,555
- Leo 63,249
- Liam 60,482
- Lucas 49,061
- Logan 40,771
- Louis 35,898
- Luca 30,323
- Louie 24,242
- Leon 22,308
- Levi 9,931
- Lee 7,861
FAQ
Luis: questions and answers
How popular is the name Luis in the UK right now?
In 2024, Luis was ranked #567 for boys in England and Wales, with 67 births registered.
When was Luis most popular?
The peak year on record was 2005, with 250 babies registered as Luis in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Luis?
A masculine Spanish name derived from the Germanic name Chlodovech meaning "famous warrior".
How many people are called Luis in the UK?
A total of 3,508 babies have been registered as Luis across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 196 more in Scotland and 60 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Luis most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Luis ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #334 in 2020. 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.