Given name & surname
Lowell
“resembling a young wolf”
Lowell is used as a given name and a surname. One French interpretation is “resembling a young wolf.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One French interpretation is “resembling a young wolf.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is French.
How it developed
It entered given-name use through an existing surname.
The story
Its naming history includes the use of a family name as a given name.
Lowell through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 41,677
- 41,330 boys · 347 girls
- Most popular year
- 1931
- 1,100 babies
- 2025
- 36
- #3,281 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −9%
- Steady
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 36 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 3,281 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 11.4% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 1,090 in 1931. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (7). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 18,468 as a first name in 2020; 6,252 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Lowell’s family of names
Lowell has a related form in Lovell. Lowell has a related form in Lovel. Lowell has a related form in Lowe.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 5
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Lowell
- Lowell Shermanactor, director (1885-1934)1888–1934
- Lowell MasonAmerican composer; leading figure in American church music1792–1872
- Lowell GeorgeAmerican musician (1945-1979)
- Lowell ThomasAmerican journalist, news analyst and businessman (1892–1981)
- Lowell BaileyUS biathleteborn 1981
- Sly DunbarJamaican drummer, record producer (1952–2026)
- Lowell WeickerAmerican politician (1931–2023)
- Lowell FulsonAmerican musician1921–1999
- Lowell GilmoreAmerican actor (1906-1960)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Lowell, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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