# Lowell (first name)

Source: https://namelineage.com/first-name/lowell/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. US counts from the Social Security Administration; England and Wales counts from the Office for National Statistics; meaning and etymology from Wiktionary. Data updated 2026-11-11.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Usually given to | boys |
| Origin | English |
| Meaning | “little wolf” |
| Pronunciation | /ˈləʊ.əl/, 2 syllables |
| Nicknames | none recorded |
| Variant spellings | none recorded |
| US babies named this | 41,677 since 1880 |
| Boys / girls in the US | 41,330 / 347 (1% girls) |
| Babies in England and Wales | 61, 1996 to 2025 |

## Etymology

A Middle English diminutive of Old French lou + -el (diminutive suffix), meaning "little wolf". Akin to Wolfie.

## What it means

Lowell is grouped under wolf.

## Popularity

The last 15 years of each series. A year is missing when too few babies were given the name for the agency to publish it: five in the US, three in England and Wales.

### United States, girls

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1939 | 6 | 4,062 |
| 1940 | 6 | 4,146 |
| 1941 | 6 | 4,228 |
| 1942 | 5 | 5,045 |
| 1945 | 7 | 3,869 |
| 1946 | 7 | 4,248 |
| 1947 | 6 | 5,056 |
| 1948 | 5 | 5,693 |
| 1953 | 5 | 6,166 |
| 1955 | 5 | 6,356 |
| 1957 | 7 | 5,179 |
| 1959 | 6 | 5,955 |
| 1981 | 5 | 11,384 |
| 1986 | 5 | 11,996 |
| 2021 | 5 | 16,729 |

### United States, boys

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 29 | 3,663 |
| 2012 | 46 | 2,658 |
| 2013 | 38 | 2,980 |
| 2014 | 38 | 3,020 |
| 2015 | 46 | 2,667 |
| 2016 | 42 | 2,867 |
| 2017 | 37 | 3,168 |
| 2018 | 43 | 2,827 |
| 2019 | 42 | 2,922 |
| 2020 | 38 | 3,057 |
| 2021 | 43 | 2,894 |
| 2022 | 39 | 3,138 |
| 2023 | 31 | 3,680 |
| 2024 | 30 | 3,753 |
| 2025 | 36 | 3,281 |

### England and Wales, boys

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 5 | 2,020 |
| 1998 | 6 | 1,821 |
| 2003 | 3 | 3,467 |
| 2006 | 6 | 2,538 |
| 2008 | 4 | 3,687 |
| 2009 | 3 | 4,527 |
| 2010 | 4 | 3,865 |
| 2015 | 5 | 3,373 |
| 2016 | 4 | 4,023 |
| 2017 | 9 | 2,324 |
| 2018 | 4 | 3,959 |
| 2019 | 3 | 4,702 |
| 2021 | 5 | 3,451 |

## People named Lowell

- Lowell Sherman, actor, director (1885-1934)
- Lowell Mason, American composer; leading figure in American church music
- Lowell Thomas, American journalist, news analyst and businessman (1892–1981)
- Lowell George, American musician (1945-1979)
- Lowell Weicker, American politician (1931–2023)
- Lowell Gilmore, American actor (1906-1960)
- Lowell Fulson, American musician
- Lowell North, American sailor (1929-2019)
- Lowell Liebermann, American composer, pianist and conductor
- Lowell Thomas Jr., American film producer, politician and writer (1923-2016)
- Lowell Bergman, American journalist (born 1945)
- David Davis, English association football player

## How to read these numbers

A count is babies registered with that name in that year, not people alive now, so a name common a century ago can have a large total and few recent births.