US Name Trends

Lois

Greek, borne by Timothy’s grandmother in the New Testament; the meaning is unknown.

1927peak year
No. 17best rank (1929)
335,594babies since 1880
outside top 1000 in 2025

Popularity, 1880–2025

Babies named Lois per year — peak 10,505▬ girls ▬ boys18801900192019401960198020002020

Lois appears in the national records from the very first year, 1880. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American girls in every year from 1902 to 1953. Its biggest year was 1927, when 10,505 newborn girls received the name, ranking it No. 19 nationally. Its best ranking came in 1929, at No. 17. All told, 335,594 Americans have been given the name since 1880.

Related names

Other spellings on record: Liz (10,223), Loyce (4,278), Lise (2,791), Loise (855) (total births since 1880)

Other names that share a story: Timothy

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By the decade

DecadeBirthsBest rank
1880s954No. 176
1890s3,228No. 111
1900s7,691No. 73
1910s38,179No. 40
1920s88,133No. 17
1930s80,713No. 17
1940s56,854No. 38
1950s36,200No. 83
1960s13,254No. 175
1970s2,884No. 426
1980s1,397No. 835
1990s930No. 1453
2000s783No. 2013
2010s1,023No. 1614
2020s727No. 1586

Births and rank shown for girls, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.

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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.