NameCensus.

UK surname

Louise

A French surname derived from the given name Louise, meaning "renowned warrior".

In the 1881 census there were 14 people recorded with the Louise surname, ranking it #31,604 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,333, ranked #4,512, up from #31,604 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, London parishes and St James Clerkenwell. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Harrow, Islington and Redbridge.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Louise is 1,333 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 9421.4%.

1881 census count

14

Ranked #31,604

Modern count

1,333

2016, ranked #4,512

Peak year

2016

1,333 bearers

Map years

5

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Louise had 14 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #31,604 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,333 in 2016, ranked #4,512.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 273 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Louise surname distribution map

The map shows where the Louise surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Louise surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Louise over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 13 #30,970
1861 historical 273 #9,134
1881 historical 14 #31,604
1891 historical 106 #23,105
1901 historical 26 #31,152
1911 historical 100 #22,717
1997 modern 82 #29,325
1998 modern 94 #28,435
1999 modern 85 #29,578
2000 modern 88 #29,284
2001 modern 80 #29,945
2002 modern 84 #29,982
2003 modern 75 #30,994
2004 modern 78 #30,919
2005 modern 82 #30,617
2006 modern 109 #26,872
2007 modern 110 #27,087
2008 modern 119 #26,067
2009 modern 159 #22,072
2010 modern 193 #19,880
2011 modern 205 #18,965
2012 modern 467 #10,384
2013 modern 504 #9,966
2014 modern 686 #7,905
2015 modern 881 #6,415
2016 modern 1,333 #4,512

Geography

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Where Louises are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, London parishes, St James Clerkenwell and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Harrow, Islington, Redbridge, Manchester and Blackpool. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 St James Clerkenwell London (Central Districts)
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Harrow 028 Harrow
2 Islington 015 Islington
3 Redbridge 029 Redbridge
4 Manchester 041 Manchester
5 Blackpool 011 Blackpool

Forenames

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First names often paired with Louise

These lists show first names that appear often with the Louise surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Louise

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Louise, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Louise surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Louise household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Louise is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Louise is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Louise falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Louise is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
Other Ethnic Group

This describes the area pattern most associated with Louise, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Louise

The surname Louise originated in France during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French and Germanic name Lodewijck, which means "famous warrior." The name was often spelled as Lowise or Louwijs in medieval records.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Louise can be found in the Cartulaire de Redon, a 9th-century cartulary from the Redon Abbey in Brittany. The document mentions a nobleman named Lowise who donated land to the abbey in 842 AD.

In the 11th century, the surname Louise appeared in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The book recorded several individuals with the surname, including a landowner named Lowise de Beaumont in Hampshire.

During the Middle Ages, the surname Louise was also associated with several notable figures. One of the earliest was Lowise of Lacy (1180-1241), an English noblewoman and the heiress of the Lacy family estates. Another prominent bearer of the name was Lowise de la Tour d'Auvergne (1312-1375), a French noblewoman who served as the Countess of Évreux.

In the 15th century, the surname Louise was adopted by several members of the French royal family. One of the most famous was Louise of Savoy (1476-1531), the mother of King Francis I of France. She played a significant role in the French Renaissance and was a patron of the arts and literature.

Another notable figure with the surname Louise was Louise de Coligny (1555-1620), a French noblewoman and the wife of William the Silent, the leader of the Dutch Revolt against Spain. She was a prominent figure in the Protestant Reformation and played a crucial role in the struggle for Dutch independence.

Throughout history, the surname Louise has been associated with various place names and locations, including Louiseville in Quebec, Canada, and Louisville, Kentucky, in the United States. The name has also been spelled in various ways, such as Louisa, Luise, and Luiza, reflecting regional variations and linguistic influences.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Louise families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Louise surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 6 Louises recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.62x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 6 3.62x
Lancashire 5 2.54x
Channel Islands 3 61.10x
Devon 1 2.90x
Northumberland 1 4.06x
Yorkshire 1 0.61x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hulme in Lancashire leads with 3 Louises recorded in 1881 and an index of 73.17x.

Place Total Index
Hulme 3 73.17x
St Helier 3 187.50x
Kensington London 2 21.72x
West Derby 2 34.78x
Horton In Bradford 1 39.06x
Ilfracombe 1 285.71x
Islington London 1 6.23x
Newcastle On Tyne St 1 78.13x
Paddington London 1 16.42x
St Marylebone London 1 11.31x
Westminster St John 1 49.51x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Louise surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Ann 2
Annie 1
Bertha 1
Catherine 1
Eleonor 1
Emma 1
Hebert 1
Lorrie 1
Mais 1
Margt. 1
Sarah 1
Teresa 1
Zeanne 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Louise surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Ernest 1
Octavious 1
Sister 1

FAQ

Louise surname: questions and answers

How common was the Louise surname in 1881?

In 1881, 14 people were recorded with the Louise surname. That placed it at #31,604 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Louise surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,333 in 2016. That gives Louise a modern rank of #4,512.

What does the Louise surname mean?

A French surname derived from the given name Louise, meaning "renowned warrior".

What does the Louise map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Louise bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.