Ludwell
A masculine name of English origin meaning "from the dweller by the spring".
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Ludwell. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Ludwell today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ludwell births was 1915 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ludwell. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Ludwell. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1915
5 babies that year
Average age
-
1915 SSA rank
#4,166
Tracked since 1915
Popularity
Ludwell: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Ludwell 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 Ludwell during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Ludwell
The name Ludwell is an English given name of Anglo-Saxon origin, derived from the Old English words "lud" meaning "loud" or "famous" and "well" meaning "spring" or "stream." It is believed to have originated in the late 9th or early 10th century, during the Anglo-Saxon period in England.
While the name Ludwell does not appear to have any direct references in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it is rooted in the rich linguistic heritage of Old English, which was the language spoken by the Anglo-Saxons who inhabited England from the 5th to the 11th centuries.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ludwell can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. In this historical record, the name appears as "Ludwelle," referring to a settlement or village located in what is now the county of Surrey.
Throughout history, there have been notable individuals who bore the name Ludwell. One such person was Sir Thomas Ludwell (1628-1678), an English lawyer and colonial administrator who served as Secretary of State for the Colony of Virginia in the 17th century.
Another prominent figure was Philip Ludwell III (1716-1767), a planter and politician who served as Governor of the Province of South Carolina from 1763 to 1766. He played a significant role in the colonial governance of British America during the mid-18th century.
In the literary realm, Ludwell Johnson (1927-2011) was an American writer and scholar who authored several works on Southern literature and culture, including his critically acclaimed book "The Littlest Rebel" published in 1955.
Ludwell Denny (1856-1911) was an American businessman and politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Virginia from 1889 to 1893. He was also involved in the railroad industry and played a role in the development of transportation infrastructure in the late 19th century.
Lastly, Ludwell H. Johnson III (1948-2022) was an American businessman and philanthropist who served as the CEO of Dawson Geophysical Company and was actively involved in various charitable organizations, particularly those supporting education and the arts.
While not as widely used today as some other English names, the name Ludwell carries a rich history and linguistic heritage, having been borne by individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields throughout the centuries.
People
Ludwell + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ludwell 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
Ludwell: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ludwell?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ludwell 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 - US residents.
Is Ludwell a common name?
We classify Ludwell as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% 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 Ludwell most popular?
The single biggest year for Ludwell was 1915, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ludwell is about 0 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 Ludwell in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Ludwell a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ludwell 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 Ludwell still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Ludwell 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 Ludwell 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 called Ludwell?
Find out how many people share the name Ludwell on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.