Ladye
A variant feminine given name derived from the English word for a noble or well-bred woman.
Name Census estimates that about 16 living Americans carry the first name Ladye. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Ladye today is around 76 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ladye births was 1920 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ladye. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Ladye is about 76 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Ladyes were born before 1960.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Ladye. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
16
~ 1 in 21,422,146 Americans
Peak year
1920
8 babies that year
Average age
76
years old
1964 SSA rank
#7,293
Tracked since 1916
Popularity
Ladye: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ladye from the 1910s through to the 1960s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 45 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ladye by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Ladye during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Ladyes live
Origin
Meaning and history of Ladye
The given name Ladye has its origins in Old English, specifically from the word "hlæfdige" which translates to "lady" or "loaf-kneader". This term initially referred to a woman who was in charge of baking bread and managing the household. The name gained popularity during the Anglo-Saxon period in England, around the 5th to 11th centuries.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ladye can be found in the Domesday Book, a manuscript compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. This historical record listed a landowner named Ladye in the county of Norfolk. Additionally, the name appears in various medieval literary works, including the Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, written in the late 14th century.
In the 12th century, a noblewoman named Ladye de Montfort was known for her involvement in the Crusades. She accompanied her husband, Simon de Montfort, on the Third Crusade and is believed to have played a significant role in supporting the military campaigns.
During the 15th century, Ladye Rous was a prominent English calligrapher and illuminator. She is renowned for her exquisite manuscript work, including the Rous Roll, a genealogical record of the English monarchs.
In the 16th century, Ladye Jane Grey, born in 1537 and executed in 1554, was an influential figure in English history. She briefly reigned as Queen of England for nine days after the death of Edward VI, before being deposed by Mary I. Her tragic story has been the subject of numerous literary works and historical accounts.
Another notable figure with the name Ladye was Ladye Mary Wortley Montagu, born in 1689 and died in 1762. She was an English aristocrat, writer, and prominent figure in the intellectual circles of her time. Her writings and letters provide valuable insights into the social and cultural life of 18th-century England.
While the name Ladye has fallen out of common usage in modern times, it remains an intriguing part of English naming traditions, carrying with it a rich historical legacy and connections to notable individuals throughout the centuries.
People
Ladye + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ladye as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with L
Other first names starting with L with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Ladye: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ladye?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 16 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ladye going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 21,422,146 US residents.
Is Ladye a common name?
We classify Ladye as "Very Rare". It ranks above 36.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 99 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ladye most popular?
The single biggest year for Ladye was 1920, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ladye is about 76 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Ladye in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Ladye a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ladye in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Ladye still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Ladye in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Ladye can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Ladye?
Find out how many people share the name Ladye on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.