2000
#13,194
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,123
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.79
Rare Last name
Ladwig
A German toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "Ludwig's village."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,331 Americans carry the last name Ladwig. That puts it at #14,176 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 147,042 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ladwig surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 147,042
Census rank
#14,176
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,033 bearers of the surname Ladwig in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14176th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ladwig, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ladwig
The surname Ladwig has its origins in Germany, with records of the name dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the town of Ladwig, located in the region of Silesia, which is now part of modern-day Poland. The name itself is derived from the Old German words "ladi" meaning "clearing" and "wig" meaning "village" or "settlement."
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Ladwig can be found in the church records of St. Michael's Church in the town of Ladwig, dating back to the late 1500s. These records document the baptisms, marriages, and burials of individuals with the surname Ladwig within the local community.
In the 17th century, the Ladwig name began to spread beyond Silesia as families migrated to other parts of Germany and neighboring regions. Notable individuals from this period include Johann Ladwig (1620-1688), a renowned clockmaker from the city of Nuremberg, and Anna Ladwig (1645-1712), a midwife who served the town of Freiburg for over four decades.
As the Industrial Revolution took hold in the 19th century, many Ladwigs sought new opportunities in urban centers and industrial areas. One such individual was Carl Ladwig (1801-1879), a successful textile manufacturer from the city of Leipzig who played a pivotal role in the development of the region's thriving textile industry.
The Ladwig name also found its way to the United States and other parts of the world through immigration in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. One notable American with this surname was Heinrich Ladwig (1865-1932), a German-born engineer who made significant contributions to the development of early aviation technology.
Throughout its history, the Ladwig surname has been associated with various professions and achievements, from skilled artisans and tradesmen to intellectuals, entrepreneurs, and innovators. While not a widely prevalent name, it has left its mark on the diverse tapestry of human history across multiple continents and centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ladwig
Among Census respondents with the surname Ladwig, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Ladwig bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Ladwig surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.3% · 1,896
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 63
- Two or more races2.6% · 52
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 10
- Black or African American0.4% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ladwig
Ladwig appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#14,248
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,104
-19 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.71
Rank movement Down 1,054 places
2020
#14,176
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,033
-71 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Up 72 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,194 | 2,123 | 0.79 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,248 | 2,104 | 0.71 | -19 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 1,054 places |
| 2020 | #14,176 | 2,033 | 0.68 | -71 bearers (-3.4%) | Up 72 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Ladwig surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #14,248 | #14,176 | 0.5% |
| Count | 2,104 | 2,033 | -3.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.71 | 0.68 | -4.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ladwig bearers went from 2,104 to 2,033 (-3.4% change). The surname moved up 72 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,248 to #14,176.
FAQ
Ladwig surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ladwig?
Name Census estimates that about 2,331 living Americans carry the surname Ladwig. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 147,042 residents.
How common is Ladwig?
Ladwig ranks #14,176 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,033 people with the surname Ladwig. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,331), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.68 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Ladwig.
Has Ladwig become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ladwig went from 2,104 recorded bearers to 2,033. That is a decrease of 71 (-3.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,248 to #14,176.
What does the Census say about the background of Ladwig?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ladwig, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Ladwig in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.3% (1,896 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ladwig appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.3%), Hispanic (3.1%), Two or More Races (2.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Ladwig (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Ladwig mean?
A German toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "Ludwig's village." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Ladwig (0.68 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Ladwig?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.