NameCensus.

UK surname

Ludlow

A locational surname referring to a person from Ludlow, a town in Shropshire, England, meaning "loud waters."

In the 1881 census there were 1,573 people recorded with the Ludlow surname, ranking it #2,693 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,363, ranked #2,773, down from #2,693 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Swanscombe, St Pancras and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Dartford, County Durham and Wychavon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ludlow is 2,597 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 50.2%.

1881 census count

1,573

Ranked #2,693

Modern count

2,363

2016, ranked #2,773

Peak year

1999

2,597 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Ludlow had 1,573 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,693 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,363 in 2016, ranked #2,773.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,080 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Ludlow surname distribution map

The map shows where the Ludlow surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Ludlow surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Ludlow over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 944 #2,942
1861 historical 898 #3,083
1881 historical 1,573 #2,693
1891 historical 1,609 #2,771
1901 historical 1,988 #2,672
1911 historical 2,080 #2,402
1997 modern 2,467 #2,541
1998 modern 2,586 #2,525
1999 modern 2,597 #2,535
2000 modern 2,579 #2,544
2001 modern 2,504 #2,562
2002 modern 2,550 #2,569
2003 modern 2,451 #2,610
2004 modern 2,439 #2,625
2005 modern 2,350 #2,673
2006 modern 2,335 #2,695
2007 modern 2,359 #2,693
2008 modern 2,348 #2,725
2009 modern 2,401 #2,726
2010 modern 2,454 #2,737
2011 modern 2,428 #2,737
2012 modern 2,368 #2,744
2013 modern 2,423 #2,732
2014 modern 2,441 #2,735
2015 modern 2,393 #2,754
2016 modern 2,363 #2,773

Geography

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Where Ludlows are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Swanscombe, St Pancras, London parishes and Darenth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Dartford, County Durham, Wychavon and Aylesbury Vale. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Swanscombe Kent
2 St Pancras London (North Districts)
3 London parishes London 3
4 Darenth Kent
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Dartford 004 Dartford
2 County Durham 019 County Durham
3 Wychavon 012 Wychavon
4 Aylesbury Vale 022 Aylesbury Vale
5 Dartford 002 Dartford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Ludlow

These lists show first names that appear often with the Ludlow surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Ludlow

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Ludlow, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Ludlow surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Ludlow household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Ludlow is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Ludlow is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Ludlow falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Ludlow is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Ludlow, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Ludlow

The surname Ludlow originated in England. It is derived from the Old English words "lud" meaning loud or famous, and "hlaw" meaning a hill or mound. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a prominent hill.

Ludlow is also the name of a market town in Shropshire, England. The town's name can be traced back to the 11th century, when it was recorded as "Lude-lowe" in the Domesday Book of 1086. It's likely that some early bearers of the surname adopted it from this place name.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the surname is found in the Pipe Rolls of Shropshire in 1198, where a William de Ludlow is mentioned. This indicates that the surname was already in use by the late 12th century.

During the Middle Ages, the Ludlow surname was associated with several notable individuals. Sir Henry Ludlow (c.1355-1398) was a Member of Parliament for Shropshire in the late 14th century. Another prominent figure was Edmund Ludlow (1617-1692), an English republican and regicide who signed the death warrant of King Charles I during the English Civil War.

In the 17th century, Gabriel Ludlow (1663-1723) was a Church of England clergyman and author who wrote several theological works. A century later, John Malcolm Ludlow (1821-1911) was a British social reformer and co-founder of the Working Men's College in London.

Another individual of note was Sir Edmund Ludlow-Hewitt (1825-1917), a British lawyer and judge who served as a Justice of the High Court of Judicature. His surname reflects the combination of Ludlow with the surname Hewitt through marriage.

While the Ludlow name has its origins in England, it has also been carried by individuals in other parts of the world, often through migration and settlement. However, its roots can be traced back to the Old English words and the historic market town that gave rise to this distinctive surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Ludlow families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ludlow surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Kent leads with 187 Ludlows recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.59x.

County Total Index
Kent 187 3.59x
Middlesex 156 1.02x
Warwickshire 154 4.00x
Lancashire 130 0.72x
Surrey 104 1.40x
Gloucestershire 82 2.74x
Staffordshire 80 1.55x
Worcestershire 67 3.36x
Cheshire 57 1.69x
Oxfordshire 45 4.77x
Buckinghamshire 43 4.66x
Derbyshire 42 1.76x
Berkshire 41 3.58x
Somerset 37 1.51x
Lincolnshire 36 1.47x
Wiltshire 32 2.37x
Leicestershire 31 1.83x
Glamorgan 29 1.09x
Yorkshire 29 0.19x
Durham 22 0.48x
Hampshire 21 0.67x
Nottinghamshire 20 0.97x
Essex 17 0.56x
Hertfordshire 16 1.52x
Cornwall 14 0.81x
Northumberland 14 0.62x
Shropshire 14 1.06x
Devon 12 0.38x
Monmouthshire 6 0.54x
Norfolk 6 0.26x
Flintshire 4 0.97x
Northamptonshire 4 0.28x
Herefordshire 3 0.48x
Sussex 3 0.12x
Dorset 2 0.20x
Rutland 2 1.78x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.07x
Bedfordshire 1 0.13x
Suffolk 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 47 Ludlows recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.66x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 47 3.66x
Aston 41 3.87x
Darenth 40 498.13x
Swanscombe 30 128.21x
Lambeth 25 1.88x
Cirencester 21 51.80x
Camberwell 20 2.05x
St Pancras London 20 1.63x
Liverpool 18 1.64x
West Ham 17 2.56x
Hackney London 16 1.87x
Quadring 16 340.43x
Bethnal Green London 15 2.26x
Islington London 15 1.01x
Portsea 15 2.45x
Aston 14 402.30x
Croydon 14 3.39x
Dudley 14 5.78x
Reddish 13 52.10x
Salford Priors 13 302.33x
Dinton 12 330.58x
Edgbaston 12 10.05x
Harborne 12 7.27x
Horton Kirby 12 149.07x
Lyncombe Widcombe 12 18.65x
Salford 12 2.25x
Stockport 12 6.92x
Strood 12 40.39x
Burton Upon Trent 11 9.12x
Castleton 11 6.08x
Walsall Foreign 11 4.13x
Wokingham 11 42.07x
Deptford St Paul 10 2.49x
Friern Barnet 10 29.74x
Lewisham 10 3.60x
Madron Penzance 10 15.91x
Manchester 10 1.23x
Nottingham St Mary 10 1.88x
Oxford St Ebbe 10 36.04x
Pinvin 10 657.89x
Sedgley 10 5.22x
Stone In Dartford 10 74.85x
Westbury On Trym 10 9.86x
Dartford 9 16.90x
Harvington 9 351.56x
Hyde 9 9.05x
Keevil 9 456.85x
Kensington London 9 1.06x
Sutton Coldfield 9 22.24x
Westoe 9 3.50x
Abingdon St Helen 8 23.88x
Avening 8 75.61x
Bradford On Avon 8 18.51x
Gravesend 8 18.14x
Hougham 8 25.83x
Ibstock 8 65.04x
Kings Norton 8 4.48x
Newington 8 1.42x
Rusholme 8 16.56x
St Marylebone London 8 0.98x
Tranmere 8 6.46x
Westgate 8 5.69x
Worcester St Alban 8 615.38x
Ystradyfodwg 8 3.43x
Aston Sandford 7 2258.06x
Berkhampstead 7 29.59x
Cowley 7 23.79x
Earley 7 36.67x
Hertford St John 7 44.64x
Horninglow 7 28.84x
Limehouse London 7 4.18x
Litchurch 7 7.28x
Monks Coppenhall 7 5.50x
New Windsor 7 212.77x
Roath 7 5.80x
Shrewley 7 364.58x
Sonning 7 55.34x
Towersey 7 380.43x
Upper Langwith 7 654.21x
West Derby 7 1.32x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Ludlow surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Ludlow surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 114
John 72
Thomas 60
James 42
George 38
Henry 38
Charles 29
Frederick 26
Arthur 22
Samuel 20
Albert 19
Joseph 18
Edward 17
Alfred 16
Ernest 14
Walter 14
Edwin 12
Richard 12
Edmund 9
Harry 9
Herbert 9
Francis 6
Frank 6
Geo. 6
Benjamin 5
Percy 5
Robert 5
Sydney 5
Thos. 5
Alexander 4
Mark 4
Amos 3
Daniel 3
David 3
Isaac 3
T. 3
Alvin 2
Christopher 2
Horace 2
Hy. 2
Jas. 2
Jesse 2
Jethro 2
Lewis 2
Percival 2
Saml. 2
Tom 2
Worthy 2
Edwd. 1
Zena 1

FAQ

Ludlow surname: questions and answers

How common was the Ludlow surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,573 people were recorded with the Ludlow surname. That placed it at #2,693 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Ludlow surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,363 in 2016. That gives Ludlow a modern rank of #2,773.

What does the Ludlow surname mean?

A locational surname referring to a person from Ludlow, a town in Shropshire, England, meaning "loud waters."

What does the Ludlow map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Ludlow bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.