Lula
Lula was the 1937th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 100 babies. Its best year was 1881, when it ranked 36th; the most babies were born in 1921 (1,778). Over the last ten years it has moved up 70 places. More babies were named Lula in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning pet form of Louisa or Lucy · English
Say it LOO-luh /ˈlulə/
- Rank in 2025
- #1,937 girls, down 213 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 100girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19211,778 babies
- Total since 1880
- 85,587babies recorded
What does the name Lula mean?
Lula appeared in the 19th century as a variant of Lulu, a nickname made by doubling the first syllable of names such as Louisa, Louise and Lucy; more rarely it was taken from Tallulah. Louisa is the feminine of Louis, a Germanic name from "loud, famous" and "battle", while Lucy comes from the Latin word for light. Which name a particular Lula was short for varied from family to family. Lula is also the nickname of the Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Lulu (English, “nickname of Louisa, Louise, Lucy”)
How sure is this? Probable. Lula is a pet form; it can stand for several different full names, so it has no single meaning of its own.
Related names: Lulu, Louisa, Louise, Lucy, Tallulah.
See also: English names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Lula', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Lulu', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Louisa', DMNES (Durham University)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Lucy', DMNES (Durham University)
Lula popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 339 since 1889.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,937 | 100 |
| 2020 | #1,724 | 117 |
| 2010 | #2,684 | 67 |
| 2000 | #7,845 | 13 |
| 1990 | #8,258 | 10 |
| 1980 | #2,969 | 30 |
| 1970 | #1,458 | 70 |
| 1960 | #655 | 241 |
| 1950 | #340 | 528 |
| 1940 | #212 | 820 |
| 1930 | #157 | 1,314 |
| 1920 | #139 | 1,765 |
| 1910 | #93 | 975 |
| 1900 | #63 | 1,237 |
| 1890 | #48 | 1,121 |
| 1880 | #39 | 621 |
How popular is Lula, counting every spelling?
Lula is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #1,743 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,937 for Lula on its own. Together these spellings went to 100 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lula | 100 | #1,937 | 552 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Lula?
100 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Lula (0.03 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Lula 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 84 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Lula.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Lula?
About 13,500 people born in the US named Lula are alive today, with a median age of 76; half are between 63 and 84. That makes Lula 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.
Lula by state
How common Lula was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. In 33 states fewer than five girls 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 Lula: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Lula, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Lula · Sibling names for Lula
Lula is also a nickname for Tallulah.
Questions about the name Lula
What does Lula mean?
Lula means “pet form of Louisa or Lucy” (English origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Lula?
Lula was the 1937th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 100 babies. Its best year was 1881, when it ranked 36th; the most babies were born in 1921 (1,778). Over the last ten years it has moved up 70 places. More babies were named Lula in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Lula a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Lula in the US.
Where is Lula most popular?
In 2021–2025, Lula was most common in Mississippi (0.15 per 1,000 girls), followed by Utah and Michigan.