Boys' name · since 1880
Ludwig
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 2,696 babies named Ludwig, peaking in 1916. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #2,727 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #6,816 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 2,696
- born since 1880
- 1910s
- peak decade
Ludwig currently ranks #6816 among boys' names in America, with 2,696 babies recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Ludwig has been recorded 2,696 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #6816 nationally and more common than 51% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1910s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #2,727 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #6,816 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 2,696 born since 1880
- 1910s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Ludwig ranks #2,727 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #6,816 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 2,696 born since 1880, peaking in the 1910s.
- #2,727 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #6,816 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 2,696
- born since 1880
- 1910s
- peak decade
Ludwig's 2,696 recorded births place it above 94% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
12 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by New York.
How Ludwig compares
2,696 Top 19% higher than 81% of 13,930 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Ludwig's all-time total is 7x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Ludwig | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 2,696 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 88 | 34 | 22,252 |
Ludwig's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Ludwig splits its recorded history at 1952: 27% of all births land in the more recent half, 73% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1887 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1916 peak of 88 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Ludwig popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1916)
- 88
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Ludwig by decade
1910s is the heaviest window (555 births, 21% of the file).
1910s was Ludwig's strongest decade.
555 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 21% of all-time use.
Ludwig births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 67
1880s
67 births
- 1890s 108
1890s
108 births
- 1900s 105
1900s
105 births
- 1910s
1910s
555 births
- 1920s
1920s
524 births
- 1930s
1930s
381 births
- 1940s 198
1940s
198 births
- 1950s 175
1950s
175 births
- 1960s 134
1960s
134 births
- 1970s 75
1970s
75 births
- 1980s 82
1980s
82 births
- 1990s 79
1990s
79 births
- 2000s 71
2000s
71 births
- 2010s 81
2010s
81 births
- 2020s 61
2020s
61 births
What this shows Peak: 1910s at 555 births (21% of all-time use).
How Ludwig compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Ludwig's total volume
Ludwig by state
Where Ludwig concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 400 | 14.8% |
| #2 | Pennsylvania | | 179 | 6.6% |
| #3 | Minnesota | | 66 | 2.4% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 58 | 2.2% |
| #5 | New Jersey | | 56 | 2.1% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 29 | 1.1% |
| #7 | Wisconsin | | 28 | 1.0% |
| #8 | Texas | | 17 | 0.6% |
400 of 2,696 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 12 reporting states.
Ludwig appears in 12 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Ludwig? ▼
Where does Ludwig sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Ludwig most popular? ▼
Where is Ludwig most popular? ▼
How long has the name Ludwig been used? ▼
What names are similar to Ludwig? ▼
What to do with Ludwig's data
- Ludwig's decade-level peak was the 1910s (555 total births); usage has since declined to 61 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Ludwigs (400 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Ludwig
Nearby Names Like Ludwig
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Ludwig
Compare Ludwig side by side: Ludwig vs Ludie Ludwig vs Ludwin Ludwig vs Ludger
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Ludwig
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Ludwig: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1916)
Similar record span (~145 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Ludwig draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.