Ludora
A feminine name believed to derive from Elodora, meaning "gift of light".
Name Census estimates that about 3 living Americans carry the first name Ludora. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Ludora today is around 76 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ludora births was 1915 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ludora. 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 Ludora is about 76 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Ludoras were born before 1960.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Ludora. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
3
~ 1 in 114,251,446 Americans
Peak year
1915
7 babies that year
Average age
76
years old
1938 SSA rank
#4,718
Tracked since 1915
Popularity
Ludora: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ludora from the 1910s through to the 1930s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 14 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1910s peak, Ludora remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ludora 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 Ludora during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Ludora
The given name Ludora is believed to have originated from the Latin language, with its roots tracing back to ancient Rome. The name is a combination of two Latin words: "ludo," meaning "to play or to jest," and "ora," meaning "mouth" or "speech." This combination suggests that the name Ludora may have been associated with someone who was known for their witty or playful way of speaking.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ludora can be found in the writings of the Roman historian Livy, who lived from 59 BC to 17 AD. In his work "Ab Urbe Condita" (History of Rome), Livy mentions a woman named Ludora who was a prominent figure in Roman society during the early years of the Roman Republic.
During the Middle Ages, the name Ludora appears to have been less common, but there are records of a few individuals bearing this name. One notable example is Ludora of Burgundy, a noblewoman who lived in the 11th century and was known for her patronage of the arts and literature.
In the Renaissance period, the name Ludora experienced a resurgence in popularity, particularly among the wealthy and educated classes. One of the most famous individuals with this name from this era was Ludora Vettori, an Italian humanist scholar and writer who lived from 1470 to 1528. She was renowned for her contributions to the study of Greek and Latin literature.
Another notable Ludora from the Renaissance was Ludora Colonna, an Italian noblewoman and poet who lived from 1511 to 1563. She was a member of the influential Colonna family and was known for her literary works, which often explored themes of love and spirituality.
In the 17th century, the name Ludora was particularly popular in France. One of the most famous French women to bear this name was Ludora de La Vallière, a mistress of King Louis XIV who lived from 1644 to 1710. She was known for her beauty and her devotion to the King, and her story has been the subject of numerous literary works and operas.
As time progressed, the name Ludora became less common, but it continued to appear sporadically throughout history. One notable example from more recent times is Ludora Doughty, an American artist and sculptor who lived from 1888 to 1967. She was known for her innovative use of materials and her contributions to the Harlem Renaissance art movement.
People
Ludora + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ludora 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
Ludora: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ludora?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 3 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ludora 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 Ludora a common name?
We classify Ludora 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, 31 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ludora most popular?
The single biggest year for Ludora was 1915, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ludora 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 Ludora in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Ludora a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ludora 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 Ludora still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Ludora 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 Ludora 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 have Ludora as a first name?
If you just want to know how many people share the name Ludora, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.