Lovell
Masculine · “Little wolf”
Lovell is given to both — 3,412 boys and 632 girls since 1880. See Lovell as a girl 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 1886 — 139 years ago. The typical Lovell alive today was born around 1954, making them about 71 years old. About 2,000 people named Lovell are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Lovell most popular?
Lovell peaked in 1886, reaching #845 nationally. Today it ranks #6143, 5,298 places below that high. See the whole 1886 chart.
Lists built from the same records:
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
- 1886
- Most boys named
- 194946 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #845reached in 1886
- Change vs 2022
- −44.0%14 in 2025, from 25
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
Strongest US states over the last decade: Texas, California.
Lovells among us
people named Lovell are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 boy in 122,005 born in 2025 was named Lovell
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
Fashion outlook
Lovell sits in the calm middle of the cycle — neither chasing a wave nor sliding off one. Middle-of-the-cycle names age slowly and predictably.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Lovell beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Lovell in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US boys given each name in 2025.
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.
Nobody names a baby alone.
Put Lovell to the vote.
Add it to a family vote or a couple’s swipe deck — the other person gets one card, a simple answer and room to say why. No app, no account for them.
Only the people you invite can see your list.
Already decided on Lovell? Hide it among decoys and let them guess.
What they receive
Someone added a name to your list
Lovell
Masculine · #6143 in the U.S.
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 2,000 people named Lovell are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Lovell in 2025?
- Lovell ranks #6143 among US boy names in 2025, with 14 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Lovell?
- About 1 in every 122,005 US boys born in 2025 was named Lovell — 14 in all.
- Will my child share the name Lovell with classmates?
- Lovell will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Lovell
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Ruel#6143 · Cornell#6143 · Vasco#6143 · Kemper#6143 · Yates#6143 · Roark#6143 · Raja#6143 · Orville#6143
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Lovell? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Lovell and another name?
See them side by side — full stats, history and a gentle verdict.
Compare side by sideIn a hurry? Just pick a winner — one tap, no sign-up, and you see how everyone else voted.
Weighing a whole shortlist? Add the rest in the builder, or settle it with a bracket.
Cast your vote
Which one would you pick?
Your gut first, the numbers after — the split shows once you pick.
US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
No advertising trackers and no data sellinghow we handle your dataindependent and founder-run, about Name Battle