| Pronunciation: | lee-LOO |
| Gender: | female |
| Meaning: | "lily" or combination of Lily and Louise |
| Region: | France |
| Origin: | Catalan, French, Occitan |
| Related Names: | Leeloo, Leelou, Liliane, Lili, Liló, Lili, Lillie, Lilu, Lily, Louise, Lulu, Lylou, Malou, Milou. |
Lilou is a French female given name. It is rising in popularity in France, where it is ranked in the top 50 names given to baby girls.[1] It is sometimes considered a diminutive of the name Lily or a combination of the names Lily and Louise.[2] It may also have originated as a short form of names ending in the sound "lee" such as Aurélie, Amélie, Aline, Élise, Élie, Coralie, or Liliane, following the French way of forming short forms of names by adding the suffix "ou" to affectionate names.[3]
Actress Milla Jovovich played a character called Leeloo in the 1997 French science fiction film The Fifth Element, which might also have influenced use of the name in France.