| Louis | Henry | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Famous warrior | Home ruler |
| Origin | germanic | Germanic |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | LOO-ee | HEN-ree |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 1921 (7,247) | 2025 (12,020) |
| In 2025 | 1,391 | 12,020 |
| Trend | Rising | Near its peak |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Louis | Henry |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 8,577 | 68,047 |
| 2010s | 11,815 | 92,585 |
| 2000s | 10,262 | 42,760 |
| 1990s | 14,436 | 25,249 |
| 1980s | 17,354 | 20,728 |
| 1970s | 20,145 | 23,511 |
| 1960s | 33,382 | 39,134 |
| 1950s | 47,933 | 62,230 |
| 1940s | 49,430 | 72,488 |
| 1930s | 47,754 | 70,419 |
| 1920s | 67,693 | 104,552 |
| 1910s | 50,600 | 79,667 |
| 1900s | 10,372 | 21,772 |
| 1890s | 8,442 | 21,664 |
| 1880s | 8,275 | 24,139 |
From the Frankish Hludwig, combining 'hlud' (famous, loud) with 'wig' (war, battle), hence 'famous in war'. Carried by 18 kings of France.
Henry is a Germanic name meaning “home ruler,” from heim (“home”) and ric (“ruler”). It has been borne by eight English kings.
Henry is more popular than Louis today: about 12,020 US babies were given the name Henry in 2025, compared with 1,391 named Louis.
Louis means Famous warrior (germanic origin), while Henry means Home ruler (Germanic origin).
In US records, Louis first appears in 1880 and Henry in 1880, so Louis has the longer recorded history.