2000
#150,436
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Ludema
From the Old Frisian "lud" meaning sound or loud.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 115 Americans carry the last name Ludema. That puts it at #155,682 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,980,473 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ludema 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
115
1 in 2,980,473
Census rank
#155,682
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
100
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 100 bearers of the surname Ludema in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155682nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ludema, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ludema
The surname Ludema has its roots in the Netherlands, originating in the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Dutch word "ludde," which means a small piece of land or a plot of ground. The name likely originated from a place name or a descriptive term referring to someone who lived on or owned a small plot of land.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Ludema can be found in the Dutch archives from the city of Leiden, where a person named Gerrit Ludema was listed in the municipal records in 1587. This suggests that the name was already established in the region by the late 16th century.
In the 17th century, the Ludema surname appeared in various historical documents from the Netherlands, including church records and property deeds. For instance, a man named Pieter Ludema was mentioned in a land transaction record from the town of Alkmaar, dated 1642.
Over the centuries, variations in the spelling of the surname emerged, such as Ludema, Luddema, and Luddemann. These variations were likely influenced by regional dialect differences and the personal preferences of the surname holders.
A notable figure bearing the Ludema surname was Johan Ludema (1670-1745), a Dutch painter known for his landscapes and seascapes. His works can be found in several museums across the Netherlands and Belgium.
Another individual of historical significance was Hendrik Ludema (1812-1889), a Dutch politician and lawyer who served as a member of the House of Representatives in the Netherlands from 1849 to 1862.
In the late 19th century, a man named Dirk Ludema (1847-1921) made his mark as a successful businessman and entrepreneur in the textile industry in the city of Tilburg, Netherlands.
Moving into the 20th century, Cornelis Ludema (1902-1976) was a prominent Dutch architect who designed several notable buildings in Rotterdam, including the Rotterdam City Theater and the Hilton Hotel.
Lastly, a more recent figure was Geertje Ludema (1923-2011), a Dutch writer and poet who gained recognition for her contributions to children's literature and her works exploring themes of identity and cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ludema
Among Census respondents with the surname Ludema, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Ludema 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 Ludema surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White98.0% · 98
- Two or more races2.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ludema
Ludema 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
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
+2 bearers (+2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 7,996 places
2020
#155,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-2 bearers (-2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 2,750 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #150,436 | 100 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | +2 bearers (+2.0%) | Down 7,996 places |
| 2020 | #155,682 | 100 | 0.03 | -2 bearers (-2.0%) | Up 2,750 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 Ludema 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 | #158,432 | #155,682 | 1.7% |
| Count | 102 | 100 | -2.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 11.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ludema bearers went from 102 to 100 (-2.0% change). The surname moved up 2,750 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #155,682.
FAQ
Ludema surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ludema?
Name Census estimates that about 115 living Americans carry the surname Ludema. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,980,473 residents.
How common is Ludema?
Ludema ranks #155,682 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 100 people with the surname Ludema. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (115), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Ludema.
Has Ludema become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ludema went from 102 recorded bearers to 100. That is a decrease of 2 (-2.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #155,682.
What does the Census say about the background of Ludema?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ludema, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Ludema in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.0% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ludema appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (98.0%), Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Ludema (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 Ludema mean?
From the Old Frisian "lud" meaning sound or loud. 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 Ludema (0.03 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 Ludema?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.