Find out how popular the last name Ludwig is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Ludwig.

Ludwig, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Ludwig surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ludwig in America

Ludwig is the 1600th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ludwig surname appeared 22,380 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 8 people would have the surname Ludwig.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ludwig to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Ludwig

The surname LUDWIG originated in Germany, with the earliest recorded examples dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Germanic words "hlud" meaning "loud" and "wig" meaning "battle," suggesting it was initially a descriptive name for a loud or fierce warrior.

The name is thought to have emerged in the region of Bavaria, where it was first recorded in medieval documents and manuscripts. Some of the earliest instances can be found in the records of the Benedictine monastery of St. Emmeram in Regensburg, where it appears spelled as "Ludwich" or "Ludwic."

As the name spread throughout German-speaking regions, its spelling evolved, with variations such as "Ludwick," "Ludewig," and "Ludewig" emerging in different areas. It is possible that some of these variations were influenced by local dialects or pronunciations.

One of the earliest notable bearers of the name was Friedrich Ludwig, a 13th-century German knight and crusader who participated in the Fifth Crusade to the Holy Land in 1217-1221. His exploits were recorded in contemporary chronicles, cementing the name's association with military prowess.

In the 15th century, the name gained prominence with the rise of the House of Ludwig, a noble family that ruled the Palatinate region of Germany. The most famous member of this dynasty was Ludwig IV, also known as Ludwig the Bavarian, who reigned as Holy Roman Emperor from 1314 to 1347.

Another notable figure was the renowned composer Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827), whose works and influence on Western classical music have endured for centuries. His contemporary, the poet and playwright Ludwig Tieck (1773-1853), was a leading figure in the German Romantic movement and a prolific writer.

In the field of science, the name is associated with the groundbreaking work of the physicist Ludwig Boltzmann (1844-1906), whose contributions to statistical mechanics and thermodynamics laid the foundations for our modern understanding of these fields.

The surname LUDWIG has a rich history deeply rooted in German culture and traditions, with its earliest bearers associated with military valor and nobility. Over the centuries, it has been carried by influential figures across various fields, from the arts to science, solidifying its place in the annals of European history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ludwig

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Ludwig.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Ludwig was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Ludwig has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Ludwig was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Ludwig, please contact us.

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