Lowell
Lowell was the 3281st most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 36 babies. Its best year was 1931, when it ranked 147th with 1,090 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 614 places. More babies were named Lowell in the 1930s than in any other decade.
Meaning "little wolf" · Anglo-Norman, English
Say it LOH-ul /ˈloʊəl/
- Rank in 2025
- #3,281 boys, down 224 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 36boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19311,090 babies
- Total since 1880
- 41,677babies recorded
What does the name Lowell mean?
Lowell is an English surname, a variant of Lovell, from the Anglo-Norman lou, "wolf", with the diminutive -el, so "little wolf"; it was first a nickname. In the US the surname belongs to a prominent New England family that included the poet Amy Lowell. As a first name Lowell was most common in the 1920s and 1930s.
lou (Old French, “wolf”)-el (Old French, “diminutive suffix”)
How sure is this? Probable. Wiktionary gives the "little wolf" origin; New England usage often honored the Lowell family.
Related names: Lovell, Lowel.
See also: French names, names that mean an animal.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Lowell', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wikipedia, 'Lowell (surname)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
Lowell popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 347 since 1909.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #3,281 | 36 |
| 2020 | #3,057 | 38 |
| 2010 | #3,769 | 28 |
| 2000 | #1,909 | 55 |
| 1990 | #1,063 | 100 |
| 1980 | #855 | 108 |
| 1970 | #523 | 238 |
| 1960 | #381 | 431 |
| 1950 | #276 | 572 |
| 1940 | #172 | 870 |
| 1930 | #191 | 721 |
| 1920 | #198 | 670 |
| 1910 | #293 | 71 |
| 1900 | #381 | 35 |
| 1890 | #381 | 22 |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Lowell, counting every spelling?
Lowell has no other common spelling that sounds the same.
How many kids will share the name Lowell?
36 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Lowell (0.01 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Lowell born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 233 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Lowell.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Lowell?
About 14,100 people born in the US named Lowell are alive today, with a median age of 68; half are between 55 and 79. That makes Lowell a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Lowell by state
How common Lowell was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. In 50 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Lowell: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Lowell, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Lowell · Sibling names for Lowell
Questions about the name Lowell
What does Lowell mean?
Lowell means “"little wolf"” (Anglo-Norman, English origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Lowell?
Lowell was the 3281st most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 36 babies. Its best year was 1931, when it ranked 147th with 1,090 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 614 places. More babies were named Lowell in the 1930s than in any other decade.
Is Lowell a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Lowell in the US.
Where is Lowell most popular?
In 2021–2025, Lowell was most common in California (0.01 per 1,000 boys).