Explore the Family Name Ludlow

The meaning of Ludlow

English and Irish: habitational name from a place in Shropshire, so named from the Old English river name Hlūde (from hlūd ‘loud, roaring’) referring to the Teme river + hlāw ‘hill’. This name was taken Ireland in the 13th and 17th centuries. See also Laidlaw.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Ludlow in the United States?

According to the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Ludlow has seen a slight decrease between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Ludlow was ranked as the 8183rd most popular surname, being borne by 3729 individuals. By 2010, its rank had dropped slightly to 8534, even though the number of individuals bearing the name increased to 3856. This represents a rank change of -4.29% and a count increase of 3.41%. The proportion per 100,000 people also decreased from 1.38 to 1.31, marking a -5.07% change.

20002010Change
Rank#8,183#8,534-4.29%
Count3,7293,8563.41%
Proportion per 100k1.381.31-5.07%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Ludlow

On the ethnic identity front, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows a few shifts between 2000 and 2010. The percentage of those with the Ludlow surname identifying as White remained fairly steady at around 88%, with a slight decrease of -0.69%. Asian/Pacific Islanders and Hispanics saw increases in their numbers, with changes of 62.79% and 62.67% respectively. Those identifying as Black or two or more races both saw decreases, -11.65% and -16.86% respectively. The American Indian and Alaskan Native group remained relatively stable with a decrease of just -0.39%.

20002010Change
White88.68%88.07%-0.69%
American Indian and Alaskan Native5.18%5.16%-0.39%
Hispanic1.5%2.44%62.67%
Black2.49%2.2%-11.65%
Two or More Races1.72%1.43%-16.86%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.43%0.7%62.79%

Ludlow ancestry composition

23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Ludlow is British & Irish, which comprises 50.6% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (26.1%) and Scandinavian (4.8%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, Italian, and Indigenous American.

Ready to learn more about your ancestry? Get the most comprehensive ancestry breakdown on the market by taking our DNA test. Shop 23andMe

ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
British & Irish50.6%
French & German26.1%
Scandinavian4.8%
Other18.5%
Ludlow

Possible origins of the surname Ludlow

Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.

Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Ludlow have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom87.80%
Merseyside, United Kingdom87.80%
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom87.80%
Greater London, United Kingdom87.80%
Glasgow City, United Kingdom87.80%

What Ludlow haplogroups can tell you

Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.

The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Ludlow is I-L1498, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup I-L1498 is descended from haplogroup I-M170. Other common haplogroups include R-P312 and R-P311, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Dickinson, Morrissey, Haws, Keane, Manson, Hawes, Payne, Feeney, Hanley, Markham.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Ludlow surname are: H1, K1a, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

ludlowPaternal Haplogroup Origins I-M170

Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette

Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Ludlow have in common?

Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.

Preferences

Ludlow

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Ludlow" Surname 37.5%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Ludlow

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"Ludlow" Surname 20.7%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Ludlow

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Ludlow" Surname 19.5%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Ludlow

Migraine

A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

"Ludlow" Surname 15.0%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Ludlow?

The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.

Disease variant frequency by ancestry

Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Ludlow are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Y402H variant

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss among older adults. The disease results in damage to the central part of the retina (the macula), impairing vision needed for reading, driving, or even recognizing faces. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the two most common variants associated with an increased risk of developing the condition: the Y402H variant in the CFH gene and the A69S variant in the ARMS2 gene. Learn more about Age-Related Macular Degeneration

British & Irish 62.1%

23andMe Users 57.2%