Louys

Louys is an archaic French form of the Germanic name Ludwig. The name Ludwig itself is derived from the Old High German elements 'hlud' meaning 'famous, renowned' and 'wig' meaning 'war, warrior'. The Frankish kingdom, which later became France, adopted this name through its rulers, most notably Louis I, son of Charlemagne. Over centuries, the spelling evolved in French, with 'Louys' being a common form during the medieval and early modern periods before standardizing to 'Louis'.

The name has a rich royal history in France, being borne by eighteen kings of France, which cemented its status and popularity. The 'y' spelling in 'Louys' was a common orthographic variation in older French, reflecting a different pronunciation or simply a scribal preference before modern French spelling conventions were established. While 'Louis' remains extremely popular, 'Louys' is now considered a historical or very rare variant.