Lois is a common English

name A name is a term used for identification by an external observer. They can identify a class or category of things, or a single thing, either uniquely, or within a given context. The entity identified by a name is called its referent. A persona ...

from the

New Testament The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Chris ...

Paul the Apostle Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...

mentions

Lois Lois is a common English name from the New Testament. Paul the Apostle mentions Lois, the pious grandmother of Saint Timothy in the Second Epistle to Timothy (commending her for her faith in 2 Timothy 1:5). The name was first used by English Chri ...

, the pious grandmother of

Saint Timothy Timothy or Timothy of Ephesus (Greek language, Greek: ; ''Timótheos'', meaning "honouring God" or "honoured by God") was an early Christian Evangelism, evangelist and the first Christianity, Christian bishop of Ephesus, who tradition relates die ...

in the

Second Epistle to Timothy The Second Epistle to Timothy is one of the three pastoral epistles traditionally attributed to Paul the Apostle.. Addressed to Timothy, a fellow missionary, it is traditionally considered to be the last epistle he wrote before his death. Alth ...

(commending her for her faith in 2 Timothy 1:5). The name was first used by English Christians after the

Protestant Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and i ...

, and it was popular, particularly in North America, during the first half of the 20th century.

Notable women

* Lois Bryan Adams (1817-1870), American writer, journalist, newspaper editor *

Lois McMaster Bujold Lois McMaster Bujold ( ; born November 2, 1949) is an American speculative fiction writer. She is an acclaimed writer, having won the Hugo Award for best novel four times, matching Robert A. Heinlein's record (not counting his Retro Hugos). Her n ...

, author *

Lois Capps Lois Ragnhild Capps (née Grimsrud; January 10, 1938) is an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for from 1998 to 2017. She is a member of the Democratic Party. The district, numbered as the 22nd District from 1998 to 2003 ...

, congresswoman *

Lois Chiles Lois Cleveland Chiles (born April 15, 1947)Profile
entertainment.msn.com; accessed April 9, 2016. ...

, actress *

Lois Collier Lois Collier (born Madelyn Earle Jones; March 21, 1919 – October 27, 1999) was an American actress born in Salley, South Carolina. She was sometimes credited as Lois Collyer. Early years Collier's father was Ernest Jones, a pharmacist, of S ...

, actress *

Lois Ehlert Lois Jane Ehlert (November 9, 1934 – May 25, 2021) was an American author and illustrator of children's books, most having to do with nature. Ehlert won the Caldecott Honor for ''Color Zoo'' in 1990. Some of her other popular works included '' ...

, writer *

Lois Hole Lois Elsa Hole, CM, AOE DStJ (née Veregin; 30 January 1929 – 6 January 2005) was a Canadian politician, businesswoman, academician, professional gardener and best-selling author. She was the 15th Lieutenant Governor of Alberta from 10 Feb ...

, lieutenant governor of Alberta (2000–2005) *

Lois Johnson Lois Johnson Scoggins (May 15, 1942 – July 7, 2014) professionally known as Lois Johnson was an American country music singer. She was from Maynardville, Tennessee. She recorded for different labels between 1969 and 1978, charted twenty singl ...

(1942–2014), American country music singer *

Lois Kolkhorst Lois Winkelmann Kolkhorst (born November 4, 1964) is an American businesswoman and politician serving as a Republican member of the Texas State Senate. She was first elected to the state Senate from the 18th District in a special election held ...

, American politician *

Lois M. Leveen Lois M. Leveen is an American writer, educator and historian based in Portland, Oregon. Early life and education Leveen graduated from Harvard College, University of Southern California, and University of California, Los Angeles. Writing ...

, author *

Lois Lilienstein Sharon, Lois & Bram (also known as Sharon, Bram & Friends, Sharon & Bram or Sharon & Randi) are a Canadian children's music group founded in Toronto, Ontario, 1978. The group's original lineup consisted of Sharon (née Trostin) Hampson, Lo ...

, singer *

Lois Long Lois Bancroft Long (December 15, 1901 – July 29, 1974) was an American writer for ''The New Yorker'' during the 1920s. She was known under the pseudonym "Lipstick" and as the epitome of a flapper. She was born on December 15, 1901, in Stam ...

, writer for

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...

Lois Lowry Lois Ann Lowry (; née Hammersberg; March 20, 1937) is an American writer. She is the author of several books for children and young adults, including '' The Giver Quartet,'' ''Number the Stars'', and '' Rabble Starkey.'' She is known for writing ...

, author *

Lois Maffeo Lois Maffeo (professionally known for much of her career as Lois) is an American musician and writer who lives in Olympia, Washington. She has been closely involved with and influenced many independent musicians, especially in the 1990s-era Oly ...

(''Lois''), musician *

Lois Maxwell Lois Ruth Maxwell (born Lois Ruth Hooker; 14 February 1927 – 29 September 2007) was a Canadian actress who portrayed Miss Moneypenny in the first fourteen Eon-produced ''James Bond'' films (1962–1985). She was the first actress to play the ...

, actress *

Lois McCallin Lois McCallin (born c. 1956) holds the world record distance and endurance for female human powered flight. On January 21, 1987 McCallin, an amateur triathlete flew 15.44 kilometers in 37 minutes, 38 seconds in the MIT Daedalus project's human-powe ...

, athlete * Lois McConnell, lead singer of European EDM group

N-Force N-Force is an English dance music act that formed in 2008. Career The act comprises Lois McConnell as lead singer, plus Jorg Schmid and Chris Henry. N-Force is currently signed to UK Dance label All Around the World, and have so far released s ...

Lois McIvor Lois Rayma McIvor (22 October 1930 – 11 June 2017) was a New Zealand artist. Career McIvor studied at the Elam School of Fine Arts, Auckland, and later under the tutelage of Colin McCahon. She was predominantly a landscape painter, often u ...

(1930–2017), New Zealand painter *

Lois Meredith Lois Meredith (alternative styling Loïs Mérédith) (June 26, 1897 – January 15, 1967) was a silent film and theatre actress. Career She infrequently appeared on the Broadway stage from 1911 to 1926. Meredith appeared in 22 films, of which 2 ...

, actress *

Lois Miriam Wilson Lois Miriam Wilson (born Lois Freeman; April 8, 1927) is a retired United Church Minister who was the first female Moderator of the United Church of Canada, from 1980 to 1982. She was ordained a United Church minister in 1965, her husband hav ...

, minister *

Lois Moran Lois Moran (born Lois Darlington Dowling; March 1, 1909 – July 13, 1990) was an American film and stage actress.

, actress *

Lois Roberts Lois Martha Roberts ( – ) was an Australian murder victim, whose death near Nimbin, New South Wales in 1998 remains unsolved. Background Roberts was the daughter of Pastor Frank Roberts, a minister with the Church of Christ and an Aboriginal ...

, murder victim * Lois Roisman, activist/playwright/poet *

Lois Smith Lois Arlene Smith (née Humbert; born November 3, 1930) is an American character actress whose career spans eight decades. She made her film debut in the 1955 drama film ''East of Eden (film), East of Eden'', and later played supporting roles i ...

, actress * Lois Wilde, actress * Lois Wilson, American silent film actress * Lois V. Vierk, composer *

Lois Lenski Lois Lenore Lenski Covey (October 14, 1893 – September 11, 1974) was a Newbery Medal-winning author and illustrator of picture books and children's literature. Beginning in 1927 with her first books, ''Skipping Village'' and ''Jack Horner's Pie: ...

, Newberry award-winning children’s books author/illustrator

Fictional women

*Lois Flagston (née Bailey), the comic strip ''

Hi and Lois ''Hi and Lois'' is an American comic strip about a suburban family. Created by Mort Walker and illustrated by Dik Browne, both of whose offspring currently work on the strip, it debuted on October 18, 1954, distributed by King Features Syndicate.R ...

''. *

Lois Griffin Lois Patrice Griffin (''née'' Pewterschmidt) is a fictional character from the animated television series ''Family Guy''. She is voiced by Alex Borstein and first appeared on television, along with the rest of the Griffin family, in a 15-minut ...

(née Pewterschmidt), the animated series ''

Family Guy ''Family Guy'' is an American animated sitcom originally conceived and created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The show centers around the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their ch ...

''. * Lois Habiba, the TV series '' Torchwood: Children of Earth''. *

Lois Lane Lois Lane is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in ''Action Comics'' #1 (June 1938). Lois is an award-winning journalist for ...

, the Daily Planet reporter in ''

DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. ( doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with the ...

''. *Lois the Blue Footed Booby, a character on ''

Bear in the Big Blue House ''Bear in the Big Blue House'' is an American children's television series created by Mitchell Kriegman and produced by Jim Henson Television for Disney Channel's Playhouse Disney preschool television block. Debuting on October 20, 1997, it aire ...

''. *Lois Lane, who plays Bianca in the play within the play ''

Kiss Me, Kate ''Kiss Me, Kate'' is a musical written by Bella and Samuel Spewack with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The story involves the production of a musical version of William Shakespeare's ''The Taming of the Shrew'' and the conflict on and off-stag ...

''. *Lois Morgan, the TV series ''

Ellen Ellen is a female given name, a diminutive of Elizabeth, Eleanor, Elena and Helen. Ellen was the 609th most popular name in the U.S. and the 17th in Sweden in 2004. People named Ellen include: *Ellen Adarna (born 1988), Filipino actress * Elle ...

''. * Lois Wilkerson, the TV series ''

Malcolm in the Middle ''Malcolm in the Middle'' is an American family television sitcom created by Linwood Boomer for Fox. The series premiered on January 9, 2000, and ended on May 14, 2006, after seven seasons and 151 episodes. The series follows a dysfunction ...

''.

As male name

In French, Loïs is a male name, as in the fictional comic strip adventures of Loïs Lorcey by Jacques Martin. The name Loïs is derived from the name Louis, itself derived from Clovis which is derived from the Germanic root, Hlodowig, which can be interpreted in the sense of "glorious" or "illustrious fighter". Close names include Louys, Luis, Louis, Lorys, Lucio, Leonus, Louniss, Lyes, Clovis, Ludovic, Ludwig, Lovis, and Luigi.

Notable women

Fictional women

As male name

See also