Explore the Family Name Ludwig
The meaning of Ludwig
German and Dutch (of German origin): from a personal name composed of the ancient Germanic elements hlūd ‘famous’ + wīg ‘war’. This was the name of the founder of the Frankish dynasty, recorded in Latin chronicles as Chlodovechus (see Louis), and Ludovicus, which became German Ludwig. This became a hereditary name in the Wittelsbach family, the royal family of Bavaria. Some characteristic forenames: German Kurt, Otto, Erwin, Ernst, Hans, Fritz, Klaus, Franz, Guenter, Horst, Claus, Erna.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Ludwig in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Ludwig's popularity has slightly decreased over the decade from 2000 to 2010. It dropped from rank 1485 to 1600, a change of -7.74%. However, the count, or number of people with the surname, increased slightly by 1.76%, from 21,994 in 2000 to 22,380 in 2010. The proportion of people named Ludwig per 100k people also saw a decrease of -6.87% over the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,485 | #1,600 | -7.74% |
| Count | 21,994 | 22,380 | 1.76% |
| Proportion per 100k | 8.15 | 7.59 | -6.87% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Ludwig
The ethnicity associated with the Ludwig surname showed some shifts between 2000 and 2010, according to data from the Decennial U.S. Census. The proportion of Ludwigs identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic increased by 73.58% and 55.63% respectively. There was also a modest rise in the proportion identifying with two or more races, and a slight increase among those identifying as Black. However, the percentage of Ludwigs who identified as White decreased by -1.50%, and those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native also saw a decrease of -13.04%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 96.49% | 95.04% | -1.5% |
| Hispanic | 1.42% | 2.21% | 55.63% |
| Two or More Races | 1.08% | 1.37% | 26.85% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.53% | 0.92% | 73.58% |
| Black | 0.24% | 0.25% | 4.17% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.23% | 0.2% | -13.04% |
Ludwig 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 Ludwig is French & German, which comprises 39.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (32.9%) and Eastern European (8.1%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Ashkenazi Jewish, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| French & German | 39.9% |
| British & Irish | 32.9% |
| Eastern European | 8.1% |
| Other | 19.0% |
Possible origins of the surname Ludwig
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 Ludwig have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 74.80% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 74.60% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 74.60% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 74.40% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 73.60% |
What Ludwig 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 Ludwig is R-U152, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-U152 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-M405 and R-Z209, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Werner, Schmidt, Mueller, Snyder, Miller, Meyer, Hoffman, Schneider, Kramer, Fischer.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Ludwig surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your 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.
What do people with the surname Ludwig 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
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Ludwig" Surname 41.3%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Ludwig" Surname 31.1%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Ludwig" Surname 22.5%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Ludwig" Surname 18.5%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Ludwig?
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 Ludwig are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition