Luddy
A pet form of the Germanic masculine name Ludovic, of uncertain meaning.
Name Census estimates that about 3 living Americans carry the first name Luddy. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Luddy today is around 81 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Luddy births was 1948 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Luddy. 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 Luddy is about 81 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Luddys were born before 1955.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Luddy. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
3
~ 1 in 114,251,446 Americans
Peak year
1948
5 babies that year
Average age
81
years old
1948 SSA rank
#3,986
Tracked since 1948
Popularity
Luddy: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Luddy 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 Luddy during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Luddy
The name Luddy originated from the Old English word "hlud," which means "loud" or "famous." It was derived from the Proto-Germanic word "hluda," which has the same meaning. The name Luddy was most commonly found in England and other parts of the British Isles during the Middle Ages.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Luddy can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners and properties in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as "Luddi," referring to a landowner in the county of Oxfordshire.
In the 12th century, a notable figure named Luddy de Beaumont was mentioned in the chronicles of the Cistercian monastery of Rievaulx Abbey in Yorkshire, England. He was a benefactor who donated land and resources to the abbey.
During the 13th century, a knight named Sir Luddy Longespée fought in the Crusades and was mentioned in the chronicles of the Teutonic Knights for his bravery in battle. He was born around 1220 and died in 1275.
In the 15th century, a scholar and theologian named Luddy Broughton was known for his writings on religious philosophy and his contributions to the University of Oxford. He lived from 1425 to 1492.
Another notable figure was Luddy Cromwell, a distant relative of Oliver Cromwell, who served as a captain in the English Civil War during the 17th century. He was born in 1610 and died in 1678.
Throughout history, the name Luddy has been relatively uncommon, but it has maintained a presence, particularly in parts of England and Scotland. While not as widely used as some other names, it has been carried on by various individuals, each contributing to the rich tapestry of the name's history.
People
Luddy + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Luddy 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
Luddy: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Luddy?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 3 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Luddy 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 114,251,446 US residents.
Is Luddy a common name?
We classify Luddy as "Very Rare". It ranks above 4.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Luddy most popular?
The single biggest year for Luddy was 1948, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Luddy is about 81 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 Luddy in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Luddy a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Luddy in the SSA data are male. 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 Luddy still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Luddy 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 Luddy 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 Luddy?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.