Lodève is a commune located in the Hérault department within the Occitania region of southern France. It serves as a subprefecture for the department.
The name Lodève originates from the Gaulish term Luteva, which combines the prefix lut- (meaning swamp or mud) with the suffix -eva. This suggests the city's name translates to "the muddy place" or "the swamp city." Historically, this mud may have been a type of clay known as argillite, which was utilized during ancient history for pottery production.