See the results of this poll: Louisa - s or z pronunciation?
Respondents: 66 (This poll is closed)
- Loo-ee-za : 34 (52%)
- Loo-ee-sa : 31 (47%)
- Something else? (please explain): 1 (2%)
Personally, I’ve always said loo-ee-za. I live in [name]England[/name], and have a northern accent 
ETA: The only time I would say loo-ee-sa would be with Luisa.
I say it with a Z and I have an Aussie accent.
I just named my third daughter [name]Louisa[/name] and was surprised to find out after use in the real world that there are different ways to pronounce it. I thought the only way was with the z pronounciation as that is how I grew up in the northern US saying it. I used to love to read [name]Louisa[/name] [name]May[/name] [name]Alcott[/name] when I was little so I was always familiar with the name. We live in southern [name]Texas[/name] now and my friends that are english as a first language but with a hispanic heritage pronounce it with the s. I never knew!! It doesn’t bother me though. My second daughter is [name]Julia[/name], and we say “Joo lee a” but I hear “Jool ya” sometimes, I think that bothers me more than [name]Louisa[/name] with a s sound. And now that I think of it, my oldest, [name]Anna[/name], gets her name pronounced like “[name]Ah[/name] na” sometimes too. I think that is the hispanic community down here too. I thought I was giving my kids easy names but I think because I like classic names that are recognized internationally they are going to have different pronouciations.
I say it with a Z and am from the southwestern US.
I say it with a “Z”. If it was spelled [name]Luisa[/name] I would say it with the “S” sound but with the [name]Louisa[/name] spelling, it sounds like a “Z” to me… I am from the northeast-ish. Think more Maryland than [name]Vermont[/name], haha.
I say it with a ‘z’ sound, and I’ve got a southern English (Londonish, but not cockney) accent
I say it with a Z. I’m from the US. So when introducing her, you need to stress the Z sound. Then I think most people will “get it right” I also don’t like it with the S sound, it would annoy me! haha. I don’t think it’s a big deal, I also like a name that has different pronunciations (3 to be exact), but if you love a name I would still use it. It’s a small price to pay, you know? noooo name is perfect. [name]Louisa[/name] is gorgeous, it’s in my top 3
I’m Midwestern US, and I say [name]Louisa[/name] with a z. I also have an aunt named [name]Louise[/name], so that probably influences me.
I say it with an S.
Im right outside New [name]York[/name] City, am caucasian, and have a slight jersey accent (ie “caw-fee” for coffee)
Apparently I’m the odd man out.
You could go with [name]Eloise[/name] instead, less of a pronunciation issue. Some will say it [name]Elle[/name] lu wheeze and others [name]Elle[/name] Lo wheeze, but really not a big issue. Honestly though, I don’t see [name]Louisa[/name] being a big thing either. Go into knowing that you will have to pronounce her name clearly with the Z sound when introducing her, and correct people nicely if they say it with an S, that’s all. My children have easy to say/pronounce names, but I STILL have to say their names slowly, clearly, loud enough and enunciate when introducing them. I have that with my easy to say name too! haha. So really, it’s not such an issue, ya know?
I like [name]Louisa[/name] a lot. [name]LuLu[/name] is a great nn and you could also do the nn [name]Lucy[/name] if you wanted. It’s an underused classic. I say go for it.
I love the name but I go back and forth on which pronunciation I like better. I generally say it with an S but I don’t think there is really that big of a difference unless someone really stresses on the Z sound.
My 14 month old daughter is [name]Louisa[/name], pronounced with the Z sound. I love her name so much!
But I did have a very fleeting moment of regret after she was born and some people, even family members, pronounced her name with an S sound. To me it sounds like a different name, and I’m very insistent that it’s pronounced with the Z sound. Anyway, I’ve gotten over that moment of regret and am now totally in love with her name.
For what it’s worth, I come from the [name]Philadelphia[/name] area and am living in Germany now. I have a pretty neutral accent I think. The Germans always pronounce her name correctly (Z). Americans have been a mixed bag, and even though I’ve also heard it’s accent related, it hasn’t seemed that way to me.
Thanks all! It’s funny, I actually prefer the S sound. The fact that so many seem to not only say but like the Z sound makes me warm to it somewhat though I guess : D.
I agree with a previous poster that the S may be a be a Spanish influence maybe? I am a white native English speaker, but I grew up most of my life with lots of Spanish around and it became a fluent second language for me by adolescence, (this was in several parts of the US west and south). But I don’t think I new any [name]Luisa[/name]'s to influence my thought on the name. I live in New [name]York[/name] City now, so it’s interesting to see the one poster with the S is near NYC. I actually think I may have said it with the Z as a child, as [name]Louisa[/name] [name]May[/name] [name]Alcott[/name] was my first encounter with the name as well and I feel like I remember noticing the wheeze sound at that point. I’ll have to ask my parents how they say it, as I suspect they’re who would have talked with me about the name the most as a child because of Ms. [name]Alcott[/name].
Anyway, thanks again. It really is a wonderful name and as another poster said it does have wonderful nicknames, so I can perhaps overcome any preference for one prn over the other : D.
To the poster who is not sure whether it is accent or not - you may well be right, too. I’m going to see what info I can track down!
OH - interesting to read it’s almost 50/50 in the poll, just not the comments!!!
S sayers of the world - where are you : D?!
Here is a long thread…which I think confirms no regional consistency. It also features a lot of people remembering hearing [name]Louisa[/name] [name]May[/name] [name]Alcott[/name]'s name with an S, for whatever reason : D!
http://swistlebabynames.blogspot.com/2011/04/baby-naming-issue-how-do-you-pronounce.html
I love [name]Louisa[/name] pronounced Loo-ee-sa! I’m originally from [name]California[/name] (in SC now) and I’ve been told I have a typical ‘Californian’ accent, whatever that is, haha 
Interesting! I was in [name]California[/name] for part of my childhood - I do not think I have a typical Californian accent, although I am told I sound “western” (probably because I live in NYC and don’t sound like a New Yorker : D).
Maybe it is the Spanish influence because it is said with a Z here, and I see a cute little cartoon mouse with a Mexican hat on his head saying, " Loo eee saaah" it would not even occur to me to say it this way.
I say it with the S. I’m Australian and I would assume the Z is more intuitive here, I just find the S pronunciation to be softer and sweeter so I say it like that.