Why not Lois?

[cathkitten.livejournal.com]

So the name Eloise seems to have risen in popularity over the last few months. I love it. I think it is a classic name from the 1920s that reminds me of Art Deco and the Plaza. However, I was wondering how many of you think the name Lois will rise in proportion with Eloise?

Lois (LOW-iss)
Hebrew Origin
Meaning: "Good"

In France and Germany there would be an umlat over the i in Lois, making it sound like Eloise without the E at the front.

While Eloise was only ranked 198 at its highest point Lois was 22.

For those of you who like Eloise, why do you think Lois hasn't enjoyed the same rise in popularity?

Comments

[angelwifey.livejournal.com]

haha.
i love lois. but shes kinda a lush:)

[angelwifey.livejournal.com]

if i see a baby named lois ill think "family guy fanatic" and "wow, shes destined to be a drunk housewife".
plus i dont think its that cute. eloise is fine. but loise, turns into luis and its just gets uglier. IMO

[trissyd.livejournal.com]

*hehe* I thought family guy too.

[angelwifey.livejournal.com]

heehee:) im just not a fan of the name in general. And then i see it and think family guy:) so it doesnt help.

[solyma.livejournal.com]

i think eloise is much prettier sounding and looking than lois.

[babyalligator.livejournal.com]

perhaps lois hasn't gained in popularity because of its association with clark kent/superman? just a thought.

[bopeepsheep.livejournal.com]

Agreed - an umlaut is a diacritic, and ï is not an umlauted letter. The double-dot is a diaresis and appears on the French version though, among other languages, and in some English words like naïve and names like Chloë or Zoë.

[A diaresis goes on the second vowel where two are combined, to show that you pronounce them separately rather than together - zo-ee instead of zoh, ny-ive instead of nayve (an umlaut/diacritic shows that the vowel sound changes to a different combined sound - 'a' (Land) becomes 'eh' (Länder)).]

[rockstargrrrlie.livejournal.com]

Probably because Lois was so popular in the 1920's that now it reminds everyone of old ladies?

[elemmennope.livejournal.com]

I like Lois a lot more than Eloise actually. I like the Lois Lane association -- seems kind of hip/retro to me.

I really dislike the "eeze" sound in Eloise.

[lipsandhips.livejournal.com]

lois sounds bad i think.
and that sunday cartoon was called hi and lois. remember?

also it just looks weird. don't you think?

[imyourrapunzel.livejournal.com]

With the way people in America pronounce Lois, I don't think it will rise in popularity. I associate Lois with Family Guy and Malcolm in the Middle, it's a mom-character name to me.

[dolcedaze.livejournal.com]

I'm using the name Eloise, but I think Lois is awful! It reminds me of someone middle aged and fuddy-duddy.

I think the associations are because Lois was the #21 name of the 1930's, meaning there are a lot of 70-something women named Lois out there. Eloise hit its high a decade earlier, and never made it into the top hundred, which seems to be where a name starts tying itself to a generation. It's like, if you hear the name Jennifer or Amy, you think of someone in her 20's or 30's, Linda and Barbara create an image of a woman in her 50's, and Madison makes one think of a little girl. Lois made it high enough that it's tied to a generation, Eloise didn't rise that high, and even if it did, most of that age group is dead by now.

As I've picked out names, I've looked for ones that aren't in the top 1000 and haven't had a spike in popularity since at least the 30's. Eloise, despite all the talk about it here, has not enjoyed a "rise in popularity", it's not even on the charts for last year. All the talk is making me nervous, though, and if it turns up on the 2005 list in May, I'll have a journal entry with many colorful obscenities and just a couple weeks to pick out something else!

[ewaeva.livejournal.com]

I just don't think it's that attractive a name. Kind of.. frumpy. And doesn't anyone remember Sharon, Lois and Bram? :)

[ifancylust.livejournal.com]

i don't know. eloise and lois look similar, but really do sound differently. also, lois seems to be one of those names that everyone just forgets about. it was probably high at one point because of superman.

[anapology.livejournal.com]

Eloise has something utterly classy & pretty about it. It fits from all ages- baby to adulthood. It gives way to lots of nicknames Elle, Ellie, Ella, Ellen, Louise (though i only like Elle)
Lois doesn't have that same charm about it.. you can't shorten it to anything other than Lo (which is kind of cute but only becayse i watched Laguna beach!)
I couldnt see a baby Lois to be honest, it only seems to fit on older women. Maybe it was so popular previously because of Lois Lane from superman?