Louis (name)

Louis (pronEng|ˈluːi in French or IPA|/ˈluːɪs/ in English) is the French and English form of the German name Ludwig [cite web|url=http://www.behindthename.com/name/louis|title=Louis at www.behindthename.com] ; another English variant is spelt Lewis. The German name is composed of the words for "fame" ("hlud") and "warrior" ("wig") which may be translated to "famous warrior" or "famous in battle". [cite web|url=http://www.behindthename.com/name/ludwig|title=Ludwig at www.behindthename.com]

Overview

Louis was the name of 17 kings of France, including Louis IX (Saint Louis) who led two crusades, and Louis XIV (the "Sun King") who was the ruler of France during the height of its power, the builder of the Palace of Versailles, and the longest reigning monarch in the history of Europe. Rendered fashionable by the Carolingians’ (Dauzat) in 751 -987 AD.

In the Middle Ages this was the hereditary given name of French nobles who claimed descent from Clovis (another version of the same name), the first king of the Franks. One such family were the Bourbons, who provided kings of France from 1589 to 1789. In English speaking countries the anglicized version "Lewis" is sometimes used.

Variant forms

* Basque - Aloxi, Koldobika, Luki

* Catalan - Lluís
** Catalan Femenine - Lluïsa

* Czech - Ludvík

* Dutch - Lodewijk, Lodewijkus

* English - Lewis, Lewes, Lewie, or Lew; Ludovic

* Esperanto - Ludoviko

* German - Ludwig

* Greek - Λουδοβίκος (Loudovikos) , feminine Λουίζα (Louiza)
* Hawaiian - Lui

* Hungarian - Lajos

* Italian - Luigi, Lodovico, Ludovico
** Italian Feminine - Luisa, Luigia, Eloisa, Ludovica

* Latin - Ludovicus, Aloysius

* Polish - Ludwik
**Polish Feminine - Ludwika, Luiza

* Portuguese - Luís ("Luiz" is an archaic form)
** Portuguese Feminine - Luísa ("Luiza" is an archaic form)

* Spanish - Luis ( [lu'is] or ['lwis] )
** Spanish Feminine - Luisa

* Swedish
** Swedish Feminine - Lova

* Norwegian
** Norwegian - Ludvig, Ludvig

* Welsh - Llewelyn or Llewellyn Definition - In the likeness of a lion.

French variant spelling

Masculine

* Louis - Definition - War famous and/or famed warrior

* Louÿs - Occitan-inspired form

* Loïc - Very frequent Breton form

* Ludovic

* Loual - A name invented by combining Louis and Albert.

* Loewy - A variant form of Loeb

* Lourent - A variant form of Loanda, or Luanda name invented by combining Lou

* Clovis - From the Germanic Chlodwig, a variant of Hlodwig

Feminine

* Louise - French feminine form of Louis.

* Louisa, Éloïse, Héloïse, Lise, Luise - Feminine form variants.

* Louvenia - A name invented by combining the masculine Louis and a form of Lavinia.

* Louelle or Luelle - meaning origin uncertain

* Loudelle - A hybrid name crated by combining Lou (Louise) with Elle or Delle.

* Lovise or Lovis - A Scandinavian-inspired variety.

Unisex

* Louison as a surname or nickname for people named Louis and Louise, cf. Louison Bobet (man), Louison Moreau (woman)

References