Louisa is the Latinate feminine form of Louis, which goes back to the Germanic Ludwig and means "famous warrior" or "renowned in battle". It was a favorite of the 18th and 19th centuries, when Louisa May Alcott wrote Little Women, and it has a softer, more literary sound than the French Louise. Louisa ranked number 1914 in the United States in 2000, entered the top 1000 in 2014, peaked at number 687 in 2021 and ranks number 697 in 2025.