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Baby names

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Original poster

Louis or Louie

66 replies

Ineedadviceonnames · 25/07/2025 18:10

Which spelling for a Louis/Louie (in the UK)?

I like the traditional spelling but I also like the fact the alternative is more phonetic in the English language. I would probably lean towards the traditional but my partner prefers the version ending in E. I have mostly chosen the name so I'm leaning towards my partner choosing the spelling.

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Tiggy321 · 26/07/2025 19:32

Louis !! Have a DS called Louis. He’s 23 now but when he was born everyone called him Lewis. Drove me mad. We moved to a French speaking country and all is well!! True story. Hate Lewis, LOVE Louis (don’t pronounce the s, ever!!)

TickyandTacky · 26/07/2025 19:31

Limonades · 26/07/2025 19:24

That’s not the case in English. The S is normally not silent at the end of words!

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Do you only read English words then? Can't adapt to a foreign name at all?

Strawberrycheesecake7 · 26/07/2025 19:29

I much prefer Louis. I always think Louie either looks like a nickname or like the parents don’t know how to spell Louis.

Limonades · 26/07/2025 19:24

TickyandTacky · 26/07/2025 17:29

You need to learn to read words with silent letters then.

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That’s not the case in English. The S is normally not silent at the end of words!

LadyMonicaBaddingham · 26/07/2025 18:47

Louis. Louie autocorrects to Louis anyway, in my experience

sophistitroll · 26/07/2025 18:38

Louie looks like you can’t spell

sophistitroll · 26/07/2025 18:37

Cinaferna · 25/07/2025 18:34

Louis (Pronounced Lewis) with Louie as a nn. Then he has options. It's a great name.

Defintely not. Lewis is horrible, Louis is classy

Om83 · 26/07/2025 17:57

I know a Louis but he gets called both ‘Lew-is’ and ‘Lou-ey’ - he doesn’t seem to mind but I think it depends if you have a particular preference for how it is pronounced??

Toomanywaterbottles · 26/07/2025 17:55

The traditional and default spelling is Louis pronounced Loo-ee.

HugoYorway · 26/07/2025 17:52

@cremedelacraps , I answered your question as I read it. The French version is different to the usual UK pronunciation.

Names that vary in the UK are Sophia, Maria, Evelyn, Alexandra, Helena ...

TickyandTacky · 26/07/2025 17:29

youalright · 26/07/2025 17:26

Louis I would read as lewis

You need to learn to read words with silent letters then.

DinoLil · 26/07/2025 17:27

Louis

youalright · 26/07/2025 17:26

Louis I would read as lewis

cremedelacraps · 26/07/2025 17:25

Margot is Mar-gott in Germany

But i'm talking about in England...

Amelie, Elodie, Marie, Madeleine, Alison, Jacqueline ...

What are the different ways to pronounce the above in English?

MsGoodenough · 26/07/2025 16:47

Louis pronounced Loo-ee. Louie just makes you look like you can't spell. Yes the odd person is called Louis pronounced Lewis, but they are the ones who will have to explain their name's spelling/pronunciation for life.

HugoYorway · 26/07/2025 16:44

@cremedelacraps .What are all the other French names pronounced differently in the UK?
Amelie, Elodie, Marie, Madeleine, Alison, Jacqueline ...
I know loads of Margot's too but all non French who say Margo.
Margot is Mar-gott in Germany

Snorlaxo · 26/07/2025 16:39

If you’re in the US I’d say go for Louie because Louis is pronounced Lewis.

My son is best friends with a Louie (in the UK) and his mum wishes that she’d picked Louis. Louie is an adult so it’s his problem now but lots of people assume that it’s spelt Louis in the UK (including me the first time ds wrote a Christmas card to him in primary)

softlyfallsthesnow · 26/07/2025 16:35

RelativelyQuietNow · 26/07/2025 11:19

Can be either pronunciation according to the Oxford Dictionary ( see above, link posted)

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The Oxford Dictionary isn't what it once was. Rather laissez-faire these days. Or laissez faire if you're FrenchWink

Original poster
Ineedadviceonnames · 26/07/2025 14:15

Ddakji · 25/07/2025 20:06

I don’t mind either. MN of course will say Louis because they think that only an oik would use Louie.

What's an oik

OP posts:
cremedelacraps · 26/07/2025 12:36

Just because the Royal family gave their son a French name doesn’t mean that most English people will pronounce it the French way!Lots of French names are pronounced differently in the UK, Louis being one of many

But you agreed for you Louis is pronounced like Lewis. And unless you are French you would pronounce it Lewis. I know loads of people who aren't French but yet pronounce Louis as Louee...I would argue that's the most common pronunciation for Louis like on this thread!

What are all the other French names pronounced differently in the UK?

I know loads of Margot's too but all non French who say Margo.

Mnello · 26/07/2025 11:49

Louie Louie, oh no no no, take me to where you gotta go.

Considered Louie as a middle name because of the song!

HugoYorway · 26/07/2025 11:28

@Limonades ,many names are pronounced differently in different countries. Louis is usually Loo-ee in the UK.

Charlotte is French too, and both Charles and Catherine can be both French and English.

RelativelyQuietNow · 26/07/2025 11:19

user1492757084 · 26/07/2025 03:24

If you are British or Australian or European - Louis.
Always pronounced Loo-ee. Everyone knows that!

If you are American - Louis Armstrong spelt his name - Louis.

If you want the sound of Loo-iss use Lewis.

Louie as a full name seems lazy and uneducated.

Can be either pronunciation according to the Oxford Dictionary ( see above, link posted)

CherryPinkAppleBlossomWhite · 26/07/2025 11:15

Louis definitely. Louie just looks wrong!

Limonades · 26/07/2025 10:45

Just because the Royal family gave their son a French name doesn’t mean that most English people will pronounce it the French way!
Lots of French names are pronounced differently in the UK, Louis being one of many