Lovell
Feminine · “Little wolf”
Lovell is given to both — 632 girls and 3,412 boys since 1880. See Lovell as a boy nameSee other names given to both
Lovell is a Norman nickname, 'little wolf', that became an English surname and an American first name. It has been in a political rhyme that cost a man his life and on the mission patch of the most famous rescue in spaceflight.
How old is the name Lovell?
Lovell first appears in US birth records in 1901 — 124 years ago. The typical Lovell alive today was born around 1931, making them about 94 years old. About 200 people named Lovell are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Lovell most popular?
Lovell peaked in 1912, reaching #1540 nationally. See the whole 1912 chart.
Where it comes from
From lou to Lovell
The story of Lovell
Francis Lovell was one of Richard III's closest supporters, and in 1484 William Collingbourne nailed a rhyme to the door of St Paul's: 'The Cat, the Rat and Lovell our Dog / Rule all England under a Hog' — Catesby, Ratcliffe, Lovell and the king, whose badge was a white boar. Collingbourne was executed for it. Five centuries later Jim Lovell, commanding Apollo 13 in 1970, brought his crew home after an oxygen tank exploded on the way to the Moon, and his account of it became a book and a film. As an American first name Lovell dates from the nineteenth century; a real minority of the children given it are girls.
Meaning
Little wolf
From Norman French louvel, a diminutive of lou, 'wolf', given first as a nickname.
How the name formed
- lou
- louvel
- Lovell
Related forms: Louvel · Lowell
Pronouncing Lovell
LUV-ul
Two syllables with the stress on the first; some families say loh-VEL.
Nicknames for Lovell
Limited
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1901
- Most girls named
- 192424 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #1540reached in 1912
- Change vs 2021
- 0.0%6 in 2023, from 6
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Lovell in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Louvel in French — related form
- Lowell in English — related form
Lovells among us
people named Lovell are estimated to be alive in the US today
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
Questions parents actually ask
Fashion outlook
Lovell sits outside the current charts, and that is its own kind of answer: naming cycles can only date the names they carried up. A name this rare has no decade stamped on it — it cannot go out of fashion, because it was never in.
Based on 146 years of naming cycles. How we read them
The trade-off
- A documented Norman meaning, 'little wolf'.
- Carries a notable modern bearer in Jim Lovell.
- Rare, so a Lovell is unlikely to meet another.
- The first syllable is 'love', which children will notice.
- People will hear Lowell and write it that way.
- Most children with this spelling are boys, but a real minority are girls; either may be taken for the other.
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What they receive
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Lovell
Feminine
Frequently asked
- How many Lovells are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 200 people named Lovell are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Lovell in 2025?
- Lovell is rarely given in the US today — it does not rank in the top 2000 girl names.
- Will my child share the name Lovell with classmates?
- Lovell will almost certainly be the only one in school.
More L names
The most-given names starting with L, all years combined.
Linda#902 · Lisa#987 · Laura#379 · Lauren#401 · Lillian#57 · Lori#1721 · Louise#514 · Lois#1666
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Lovell? See the current top 100.
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US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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