Last Names

Surnames / L

Lou

How common is the last name Lou?

About this name

We do not yet have a written origin for Lou, so here is what the census records show.

Surname origins are rarely settled, and we would rather say nothing than guess. The sources below are the best places to look, and our guide to how surnames began explains the usual types.

Similar spellings

Names nearby in the census

#10,815

Lou was the 10,815th most common surname in the 2010 US Census, with 2,945 people, about 1.0 in every 100,000.

Who carries it

  • White (non-Hispanic)11.9%
  • Hispanic or Latino3.5%
  • Black (non-Hispanic)<0.1%
  • Asian or Pacific Islander79.7%
  • Two or more races2.9%
  • American Indian or Alaska Native<0.1%

Check the sources

For a name you are serious about, compare the dictionaries: Reaney and Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames; Hanks, Dictionary of American Family Names.