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Home › Baby Names Directory › Lu

Lu

♀ Girl

Pronounced LOO /ˈluː/High

Meaning: A pet form of names like Louise ('famous warrior'), Lucia/Lucy ('light'), or Lulu, standing alone as a crisp one-beat name. Route depends on the fuller name.Low

In 30 seconds: A tiny, bright name: Lu shortens Louise or Lucy — 'famous warrior' or 'light' (said 'LOO'). Crisp and sweet.
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Origin LowEnglish, Latin
MeaningA pet form of names like Louise ('famous warrior'), Lucia/Lucy ('light'), or Lulu, standing alone as a crisp one-beat name. Route depends on the fuller name.
U.S. rank (2025)#12652 ↘ Falling
2025 U.S. births7 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year1954
Total births (all-time)≈ 4,047

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 195418862025

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Lu is a pet form of Louise, Lucy/Lucia, or Lulu; by those routes it touches 'famous warrior' and 'light.' It reads short, warm, and modern-minimalist — rare on its own in the U.S. (said 'LOO').

It appears rarely as a full given name, more often as a nickname. Rare, crisp, and sweet.

Did you know? Lu is a short form of names like Louise ('famous warrior'), Lucy/Lucia ('light'), or Lulu — a crisp one-beat name that stands sweetly on its own (said 'LOO').
Overall data confidence 40%
References — Lu — short for Louise/Lucy/Lulu; route depends on fuller name

Variations

LouLuluLoo

Nicknames

LuluLu-Lu

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Lu…

Lou— a spelling twin
Lulu— a like short Lu- name
Lucy— a fuller name it shortens
Lux— a like crisp one-beat name

Explore names like Lu

By themeuncertainshortnicknameminimalist

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Lu mean?

Lu is a short form of Louise ('famous warrior') or Lucy/Lucia ('light'); the route depends on the fuller name, which we note.

How do you pronounce Lu?

It's said LOO /ˈluː/ — one syllable.

Is Lu a boy or girl name?

Lu is used here for a girl; it can be a short form for either sex.

How popular is Lu?

Lu is a rare name on its own in the U.S.

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