He was the third son of Karl George Lebrecht, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen, and his wife Louise Charlotte, daughter of Frederick, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg.
Starting in 1798 he was a Major in the King's Regiment in Danish service, where he received his military training.
The death of his brother Karl William in 1793 made Louis the next in line to inherit Köthen, preceded only by his older brother Augustus Christian Frederick.
His early death prevented his eventual inheritance of Köthen, but his son Louis Augustus succeeded his uncle in Anhalt-Köthen when he died ten years later.
In Darmstadt on 20 September 1800 Louis married Louise Karoline Theodora Amalie (b. Darmstadt, 15 January 1779 - d. Köthen, 18 April 1811), daughter of the later (1806) Louis I, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine.