This page is historical. Follow this link for the current version.
Dictionary of Medieval Names
from European Sources

Louisa f. Fem. of Louis.

Withycombe's earliest example in England is from 1646; but the name was used by women there earlier. It was, however, never common in any culture, certainly not as common as its masculine counterpart.

Belgium
Dutch
1597x1598 Loyse BoonenGes p. 340
England
Dutch
1576 Loysken AuFr Drossaert
Early Modern English
1565 Lewes BEmar-vol1 p. 8
Middle French
1579 Louyse WCS p. 14; 1581 Louise ibid. p. 88; 1585 Louyse ibid. p. 46; 1588 Louyse ibid. p. 48; 1589 Louyse ibid. p. 48; 1593 Louise ibid. p. 50; 1595 Louise ibid. p. 51; 1596 Louyse ibid. p. 106, Loyse ibid. p. 106
Walloon
1581 Louyse RWC p. 562; 1584 Louyse ibid. p. 8; 1591/2 Loyse ibid. p. 20; 1592 Loyse ibid. p. 21; 1593 Loyse ibid. p. 29; 1594/5 Loyse ibid. p. 35; 1595 Loyse ibid. p. 39; 1598 Loyse ibid. p. 49
France
Middle French
1421 Loyse favier 1270; 1562 Loyse RegPCC-1 p. 9; 1563 Loyse ibid. p. 535; 1564 Loyse ibid. p. 68; 1565 Loyse ibid. p. 139; 1566 Loyse ibid. p. 199; 1567 Loyse ibid. p. 310; 1568 Loyse ibid. p. 378; 1571 Louyse ibid. p. 452, Loyse ibid. p. 442; 1572 Loyse ibid. p. 487; 1587 Loyse RTFProvins 178
Italy
Latin
1522x1532 Loysa (nom) DSF p. 51, 18; 1527 Ludovica (nom) Rome1527 p. 83
1522x1532 Loysella (nom) DSF p. 53, 38
Italian
1513x1521 Alovisa LeoX p. 14, Ludovica ibid. p. 20, Ludovicha ibid. p. 21
Spain
Catalan
1510 Luisa valencia1510 3704
Spanish
1576 Luisa Catalogo-5.2 3881
Switzerland
Latin
1475 Ludovice (dat) MHCG2 239
Cite as: J. Uckelman, S.L. Uckelman. "Louisa". In S.L. Uckelman, ed. The Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, Edition 2021, no. 1. http://dmnes.org/2021/1/name/Louisa.