The Ludwig surname
In the 2010 U.S. Census, 22,380 people carried this name — #1,600 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 13,200 people counted. That is up 2% from 21,994 in 2000.
What the name means
The meaning of the Ludwig surname
A surname originating as a patronymic.
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Ludwig» (German), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.
In France’s civil register
France’s register of deaths holds 1,581 people named Ludwig.
90 of them were born outside France. Those born in France came from 62 départements, most often Bas-Rhin.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they were born
Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.
In Poland’s population register
1,147 people named Ludwig have a registered home in Poland.
Of the 1,600 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in all 16 of Poland’s voivodeships, most of all in Silesian.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they live today
PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.
In Switzerland’s population statistics
980 people named Ludwig live in Switzerland.
They live in 24 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Zurich.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they live today
Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.
In Argentina’s national register
At least 168 people named Ludwig live in Argentina.
RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Buenos Aires Province.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they live today
RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.
In Belgium’s population register
At least 64 people named Ludwig live in Belgium.
Statbel only publishes a name in a municipality when five or more people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Luxembourg Province.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
Statbel (Statistics Belgium), family names of the population by municipality, 1 January 2026 — CC BY 4.0.
In the Nordic population registers
188 people named Ludwig are counted in Sweden and Finland.
Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published. Finland counts its citizens, at home or abroad.
Counted, by country
Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown) · Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV), Finland, surname statistics, August 2026 — CC BY 4.0.
In print
Ludwig in American newspapers,
1886–1939.
Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 250,954 pages in all carry the name.
Who carried it
People named Ludwig,
with a public archive behind them.
-
William Louis, Count of Nassau-Dillenburg 1560–1620 · politician -
João Frederico Ludovice 1670–1752 · architect -
Christian Gottlieb Ludwig 1709–1773 · naturalist -
Christian Friedrich Ludwig 1751–1823 · naturalist -
Christiane Sophie Ludwig 1764–1815 · writer
Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · 162 lives in all are documented under this name.
Nearby in the index
Surnames next to Ludwig.
- Lucot 147 · U.S. census
- Lucy 3,096 · U.S. census
- Luczak 1,394 · U.S. census
- Lude 210 · U.S. census
- Luder 167 · U.S. census
- Ludwiczak 222 · U.S. census
- Luengo 171 · U.S. census
- Lugan 130 · U.S. census
- Luginbuhl 418 · U.S. census
- Lugue 265 · U.S. census
- Luis 9,255 · U.S. census
- Luisi 1,105 · U.S. census
When the index is not enough
This page says where Ludwig is.
A volume says what happened to it.
Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.