Fun Facts About the Name Lulu
- More than 12 thousand babies named Lulu: U.S. records list 12,706 babies given the name Lulu from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Lulu Mean?
Lulu is an Arabic female given name meaning "pearl," from the Arabic word lu'lu' (لؤلؤ); the name is often written لولو. As a given name in European languages, Lulu is not a separate word with its own lexical meaning but a reduplicated pet form of names beginning with Lu-, especially Louise, Luise, Lucy, Lucille, and Luella. When it stands for Louise, it is conventionally associated with the meaning of that parent name: Louise is the feminine form of Louis, from a Germanic name whose elements mean "fame" and "war" (often rendered "famous warrior"). That inherited sense is a customary interpretation of the source name, not a literal meaning of the repeated syllables Lu-lu.
Lulu Name History & Origins
In Arabic, the ordinary word for pearl is lu'lu' (لؤلؤ), and the repeated form Lulu (لولو) has long been used as a woman's name in Arabic-speaking regions. This Arabic name is independent of the similar-sounding European nickname; the two traditions share a sound pattern, not a common origin.
In German, French, and English, Lulu belongs to the large family of nursery names made by repeating a syllable, such as Mimi, Nana, and Fifi. German Lulu is a familiar form of Luise; French Loulou is a pet name and term of endearment; English Lulu served as a nickname for Louise, Lucy, Lucille, Luella, and other Lu- names. In the 19th century it also appeared as an independent given name in the English-speaking world.
The name's best-known literary use is in Frank Wedekind's plays Erdgeist (1895) and Die Büchse der Pandora (1904), whose central character is named Lulu. Alban Berg based his opera Lulu (1935; premiered incomplete in 1937) on those plays. Wedekind was drawing on a name already in circulation, so the plays are a famous literary association rather than the origin of the name.
How Popular is the Name Lulu?
Lulu recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 1886. The name enjoyed early prominence in the late 19th century before its sustained modern rise.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #3,194 | 50 | 0.0031% |
| 2024 | #3,464 | 45 | 0.0028% |
| 2023 | #2,746 | 63 | 0.0039% |
| 2022 | #2,740 | 63 | 0.0038% |
| 2021 | #2,769 | 62 | 0.0038% |
| 2020 | #2,804 | 59 | 0.0037% |
| 2019 | #2,910 | 57 | 0.0034% |
| 2018 | #2,725 | 63 | 0.0037% |
| 2017 | #2,646 | 66 | 0.0038% |
| 2016 | #3,259 | 50 | 0.0028% |
| 2015 | #2,913 | 60 | 0.0034% |
| 2014 | #3,168 | 52 | 0.0029% |
| 2013 | #2,926 | 58 | 0.0033% |
| 2012 | #3,122 | 54 | 0.0031% |
| 2011 | #3,115 | 54 | 0.0031% |
| 2010 | #3,235 | 51 | 0.0029% |
| 2009 | #3,842 | 41 | 0.0022% |
| 2008 | #2,979 | 59 | 0.0031% |
| 2007 | #3,365 | 50 | 0.0026% |
| 2006 | #4,644 | 31 | 0.0016% |
| 2005 | #5,046 | 26 | 0.0014% |
| 2004 | #5,674 | 22 | 0.0012% |
| 2003 | #4,886 | 26 | 0.0014% |
| 2002 | #6,565 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2001 | #6,838 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2000 | #7,408 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1999 | #6,710 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1998 | #6,935 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1997 | #13,063 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1996 | #14,855 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1995 | #9,219 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1994 | #11,267 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1993 | #12,766 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1991 | #7,740 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1990 | #12,277 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1988 | #13,016 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1984 | #9,849 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1983 | #7,735 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1982 | #9,929 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1981 | #9,829 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1979 | #5,279 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 1978 | #9,225 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1977 | #7,269 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1976 | #6,995 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1975 | #7,622 | 7 | 0.0005% |
| 1974 | #4,350 | 14 | 0.0010% |
| 1973 | #4,267 | 14 | 0.0010% |
| 1972 | #3,815 | 16 | 0.0011% |
| 1971 | #4,048 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 1970 | #4,649 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1969 | #4,898 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1968 | #3,540 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 1967 | #3,578 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1966 | #3,856 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1965 | #3,210 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1964 | #3,622 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1963 | #4,162 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1962 | #2,987 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 1961 | #3,026 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 1960 | #3,051 | 17 | 0.0008% |
| 1959 | #2,134 | 29 | 0.0014% |
| 1958 | #2,423 | 23 | 0.0011% |
| 1957 | #2,532 | 21 | 0.0010% |
| 1956 | #2,505 | 21 | 0.0010% |
| 1955 | #2,603 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 1954 | #2,214 | 24 | 0.0012% |
| 1953 | #2,653 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1952 | #2,242 | 22 | 0.0012% |
| 1951 | #2,761 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1950 | #2,092 | 22 | 0.0013% |
| 1949 | #1,789 | 29 | 0.0017% |
| 1948 | #1,985 | 24 | 0.0014% |
| 1947 | #2,120 | 22 | 0.0012% |
| 1946 | #2,063 | 21 | 0.0013% |
| 1945 | #2,197 | 16 | 0.0012% |
| 1944 | #1,564 | 28 | 0.0021% |
| 1943 | #1,648 | 27 | 0.0019% |
| 1942 | #1,651 | 26 | 0.0019% |
| 1941 | #1,157 | 42 | 0.0035% |
| 1940 | #1,143 | 41 | 0.0036% |
| 1939 | #971 | 54 | 0.0049% |
| 1938 | #881 | 64 | 0.0058% |
| 1937 | #997 | 50 | 0.0047% |
| 1936 | #698 | 92 | 0.0088% |
| 1935 | #725 | 86 | 0.0082% |
| 1934 | #844 | 66 | 0.0063% |
| 1933 | #1,082 | 42 | 0.0042% |
| 1932 | #864 | 65 | 0.0061% |
| 1931 | #921 | 57 | 0.0054% |
| 1930 | #850 | 71 | 0.0063% |
| 1929 | #802 | 78 | 0.0070% |
| 1928 | #812 | 79 | 0.0068% |
| 1927 | #679 | 114 | 0.0096% |
| 1926 | #677 | 116 | 0.0098% |
| 1925 | #689 | 114 | 0.0094% |
| 1924 | #700 | 113 | 0.0090% |
| 1923 | #631 | 137 | 0.0114% |
| 1922 | #636 | 133 | 0.0111% |
| 1921 | #570 | 160 | 0.0130% |
| 1920 | #532 | 177 | 0.0148% |
| 1919 | #498 | 183 | 0.0162% |
| 1918 | #503 | 183 | 0.0158% |
| 1917 | #518 | 166 | 0.0154% |
| 1916 | #454 | 198 | 0.0190% |
| 1915 | #478 | 167 | 0.0170% |
| 1914 | #430 | 158 | 0.0207% |
| 1913 | #487 | 110 | 0.0176% |
| 1912 | #416 | 125 | 0.0224% |
| 1911 | #452 | 82 | 0.0196% |
| 1910 | #368 | 112 | 0.0282% |
| 1909 | #326 | 123 | 0.0354% |
| 1908 | #322 | 120 | 0.0359% |
| 1907 | #309 | 127 | 0.0399% |
| 1906 | #314 | 115 | 0.0389% |
| 1905 | #297 | 126 | 0.0432% |
| 1904 | #258 | 151 | 0.0548% |
| 1903 | #285 | 122 | 0.0466% |
| 1902 | #240 | 161 | 0.0610% |
| 1901 | #248 | 135 | 0.0564% |
| 1900 | #228 | 196 | 0.0654% |
| 1899 | #209 | 179 | 0.0768% |
| 1898 | #203 | 209 | 0.0808% |
| 1897 | #196 | 199 | 0.0850% |
| 1896 | #181 | 228 | 0.0958% |
| 1895 | #165 | 258 | 0.1104% |
| 1894 | #155 | 278 | 0.1247% |
| 1893 | #137 | 304 | 0.1428% |
| 1892 | #133 | 325 | 0.1531% |
| 1891 | #124 | 315 | 0.1698% |
| 1890 | #111 | 364 | 0.1912% |
| 1889 | #113 | 341 | 0.1912% |
| 1888 | #105 | 367 | 0.2055% |
| 1887 | #103 | 322 | 0.2206% |
| 1886 | #90 | 376 | 0.2601% |
| 1885 | #85 | 360 | 0.2706% |
| 1884 | #89 | 344 | 0.2666% |
| 1883 | #88 | 302 | 0.2689% |
| 1882 | #93 | 279 | 0.2587% |
| 1881 | #76 | 313 | 0.3404% |
| 1880 | #86 | 249 | 0.2736% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Lulu Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You always bring to completion anything you start. You are generous but like to see returns from your giving. You have an executive ability, you are a leader. You are moral, balanced, honest and intellectual, and you may attain spirituality. You are wise and practical with an appreciation of beauty. You always think before you act. Emergencies may raise your intuitive abilities in order to resolve conflict or situation. You become very creative under the pressure, and have quite original ideas to make the best out of it.
Creative and outgoing, you are always looking for an opportunity to show your abilities, especially before audience. You are very flexible and like to feel appreciated. You are looking for chances to mix with others socially and to communicate your ideas. You like to talk and can easily relate to different cultures and concepts. The biggest challenge for you is uncertainty. Easily getting bored, you can move from one job to another, switch projects and lovers. The high creative force can lead you either to happiness or unhappiness. If you understand your goals, if you can make major decisions in life and follow it directly and straight up without worry and uncertainty, you are able to achieve great heights.
✦ Lulu's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Lulu's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.