| Louise | Charlotte | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Famous warrior | Free |
| Origin | French | French |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | loo-EEZ | SHAR-lut |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 1921 (9,180) | 2025 (13,400) |
| In 2025 | 579 | 13,400 |
| Trend | Rising | Near its peak |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Louise | Charlotte |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 2,994 | 78,055 |
| 2010s | 2,489 | 102,488 |
| 2000s | 1,035 | 24,266 |
| 1990s | 1,295 | 9,696 |
| 1980s | 1,965 | 8,486 |
| 1970s | 2,918 | 12,513 |
| 1960s | 10,894 | 24,232 |
| 1950s | 25,852 | 36,997 |
| 1940s | 38,665 | 49,478 |
| 1930s | 49,859 | 34,646 |
| 1920s | 82,895 | 35,752 |
| 1910s | 67,973 | 22,548 |
| 1900s | 22,862 | 6,194 |
| 1890s | 15,174 | 4,771 |
| 1880s | 9,596 | 3,311 |
Louise is the French feminine of Louis, from the Germanic for “famous warrior.” It has been a steady, elegant classic across Europe.
Charlotte is a French feminine diminutive of Charles, from the Germanic for “free man” — so “little free one.” Borne by queens and by the novelist Charlotte Brontë, it is a modern favourite.
Charlotte is more popular than Louise today: about 13,400 US babies were given the name Charlotte in 2025, compared with 579 named Louise.
Louise means Famous warrior (French origin), while Charlotte means Free (French origin).
In US records, Louise first appears in 1880 and Charlotte in 1880, so Louise has the longer recorded history.