Ludwig
Ludwig is a German name, deriving from Old High German Hludwīg, also spelled Hluotwīg. Etymologically, the name can be traced back to the reconstructed Proto-Germanic name *hlūdawiganaz, which is composed of two elements: *hlūdaz and *wiganą respectively, the resulting name meaning "famous warrior" or "famous in battle". This is an equivalent of the name Louis.
- German
Meaning & Origin of Ludwig
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Ludwig is a German name, deriving from Old High German Hludwīg, also spelled Hluotwīg. Etymologically, the name can be traced back to the reconstructed Proto-Germanic name *hlūdawiganaz, which is composed of two elements: *hlūdaz and *wiganą respectively, the resulting name meaning "famous warrior" or "famous in battle". This is an equivalent of the name Louis.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- German
The Story of Ludwig
Ludwig first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 9 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1916, when 88 Ludwigs were born — ranking #620 that year. As of 2026, Ludwig ranks #7,725 for baby boys with 10 births, holding steady (-2%). In total, more than 3K Ludwigs have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Ludwig
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Ludwig. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Ludwig
Phonetically similar names — useful when Ludwig is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Ludwig
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About the name Ludwig
Ludwig is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 3K births in the dataset. Ludwig's peak popularity came in 1916 when it ranked #620. Use the chart and map above to compare Ludwig's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1916 →
- Names of the 1910s →
- Names starting with "L" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.