Milou sounds French, feels Dutch and is a top 10 girl name in the Netherlands. It is also a great example of how Dutch borrows words and keeps their original sound, even when Dutch spelling rules say something else.
How do you pronounce Milou?
Say mee-LOO, with the stress on the second syllable. Careful: in Dutch words ou normally sounds like "ow" (koud, cold; goud, gold). Milou is French, so it keeps the French "oo" sound, just like other French loanwords such as de route (ROO-tuh).
What does Milou mean?
The Meertens Instituut, which keeps the Dutch first name database, explains Milou as a name that grew out of Marie-Louise: Mi from Marie, Lou from Louise. And if you grew up with Tintin comics: in the original French, Tintin's white fox terrier is called Milou. In English he is Snowy, and in Dutch he is Bobbie.
How popular is Milou?
Milou was the number 9 girl name in the Netherlands in 2025, according to the SVB baby name list, between Yara and Sara.
Make it cute: Miloutje
Dutch people love the diminutive, the small and sweet form of a word. It works on names too: Milou becomes Miloutje. A name that ends in a vowel sound gets -tje, like de kou (the cold) in een koutje (a little cold). Every diminutive is a het-word.
Use Milou in a Dutch sentence
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| Milou is mijn beste vriendin. | Milou is my best friend. |
| Milou woont in Groningen. | Milou lives in Groningen. |
| Heb je de hond van Milou gezien? | Have you seen Milou's dog? |
| Het is koud buiten. | It is cold outside. (ou = "ow") |
See where Milou sits among the 10 most popular Dutch girl names, and read what common Dutch last names mean.
Want to hear these names out loud and use them in real sentences? Practise with our Dutch WhatsApp Buddy, or take the free Dutch level test to see where you stand.