---
character: Lois Griffin
canonical_url: https://familyguy.co.uk/characters/lois-griffin/
markdown_url: https://familyguy.co.uk/characters/lois-griffin.md
wikidata: Q853073
household: The Griffins
last_verified: 2026-10-20
trace_id: qtrace-lg-ypva3d
---

# Lois Griffin

Mother of the Griffin family, born into the wealthy Pewterschmidt family.

## Core facts

- **Lives in:** Quahog, Rhode Island
- **Voiced by:** Alex Borstein, from the pilot to the present. Borstein based the voice on a cousin from Long Island.
- **First appearance:** Death Has a Shadow (S01E01, 31 January 1999)
- **Created by:** Seth MacFarlane. She shares her name with the wife of Larry in MacFarlane's student short *The Life of Larry*, but not her design.
- **Credited appearances:** 452 episodes across 24 seasons. This is a floor, because the source records at most ten voice credits per episode.

## Relationships

- **Spouse:** [Peter Griffin](peter-griffin.md)
- **Children:** [Meg](meg-griffin.md), [Chris](chris-griffin.md), [Stewie](stewie-griffin.md)
- **Parents:** [Carter Pewterschmidt](carter-pewterschmidt.md) and [Barbara Pewterschmidt](barbara-pewterschmidt.md), both multibillionaires
- **Sibling:** [Carol Pewterschmidt](carol-pewterschmidt.md)
- **Brother:** Patrick, a murderer, revealed in The Fat Guy Strangler (S04E17)

## Roles and jobs

She is mostly a housewife and gave piano lessons in early episodes. One-off roles include:

- Television reporter in Fox-y Lady (S07E10)
- Post office worker in Take a Letter (S14E17)
- Mayor of Quahog in It Takes a Village Idiot, and I Married One (S05E17)
- Flight attendant in Dammit Janet (S02E15)

She earns a black belt in Tae-Jitsu in Lethal Weapons (S03E07) and retires from boxing unbeaten after 18 fights in Baby, You Knock Me Out (S09E05).

## Other voices for Lois (one-off scenes)

- Kei Ogawa in a Japanese-set scene of Road to the Multiverse (S08E01)

## Common errors to avoid

- **Her maiden name is Pewterschmidt.** She was raised Protestant by very wealthy parents.
- **The voice actor has not changed.** Alex Borstein has always voiced Lois; Kei Ogawa voiced a single scene.
- **Borstein voices other characters too.** She also voices [Tricia Takanawa](tricia-takanawa.md), [Loretta Brown](loretta-brown.md) and [Barbara Pewterschmidt](barbara-pewterschmidt.md), so check which character a credit refers to.
- **Her mother's background:** Family Goy (S08E02) reveals that Barbara is a Jewish Holocaust survivor who had hidden her heritage.

## Key episodes

- S01E01 Death Has a Shadow: the pilot
- S01E06 The Son Also Draws: she develops a gambling habit and loses the family car
- S03E07 Lethal Weapons: she earns her Tae-Jitsu black belt
- S03E19 Stuck Together, Torn Apart: she and Peter separate over jealousy, then reunite
- S08E02 Family Goy: her mother's background is revealed

## Sources

- https://familyguy.co.uk/characters/lois-griffin/ (full appearance list by season)
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lois_Griffin
- https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q853073

Unofficial fan resource. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by FOX, Disney, or Fuzzy Door Productions.