How Many People Are Named Ludie?

An estimated 252 people in the United States have the first name Ludie. It is predominantly female (90.9%). The average bearer is 83 years old, and Ludie peaked in popularity in 1916 with 95 births that year.

Below you will find a full statistical profile of Ludie as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, state-by-state birth registrations, and, when available, a 2020 Census snapshot showing who had the name at that point in time. You can also check how many people share the full name Ludie paired with any surname.

Key Insights

  • With an average bearer age of 83, Ludie is a vintage name most associated with earlier generations. Most living bearers were born before 1953.

Estimated Living Americans

252

About 1 in 1,360,136 people in the U.S.

Rarity

Very Rare

Very Rare Very Common

Predicted Gender

Female

90.9% confidence

Average Age

83

years old

Peak Year

1916

95 births

Total Registered

2,957

since 1880

Gender Distribution for Ludie

Ludie is predominantly female (90.9%), though 270 male births have been registered. It functions as a unisex name for a small percentage of bearers.

Male 270 (9.1%)
Female 2,687 (90.9%)

Ludie as a male name

Ranked #5,161 in 1970

5 male births in 1970

Peak: 1919 (15 births)

Ludie as a female name

Ranked #6,455 in 1964

6 female births in 1964

Peak: 1916 (82 births)

Ludie in the 2020 Census

The 2020 Census recorded 445 people with the first name Ludie, which placed it at #22,398 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The estimated living count elsewhere on this page is different: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two figures are not expected to match exactly.

Read this section as a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The SSA charts elsewhere on this page are still the better way to see how the name rose, fell, or shifted across generations.

Gender in the 2020 Census

In the 2020 Census, Ludie was recorded as predominantly female. Out of 445 people with this name in that snapshot, 15.5% were male and 84.5% were female. That is less heavily female than the long-run SSA birth pattern on this page, which sits at 90.9% female.

Census Count

445

people with this name

Census Rank

#22,398

among Census first names

Frequency Rate

0.15

per 100,000 people

Male 69 (15.5%)
Female 376 (84.5%)

Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census

In the 2020 Census, the first name Ludie was most commonly recorded among people who identified as Black (56.47%). The next largest recorded groups were White (34.38%) and Two or More Races (3.57%).

These percentages describe the people who had the first name Ludie in the 2020 Census. They do not tell you the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.

White
34.38%
Black
56.47%
Hispanic
2.90%
Asian/Pacific Islander
2.23%
American Indian/Alaska Native
0.45%
Two or More Races
3.57%

2020 Census demographic breakdown

Each row shows a recorded Census category for people with the first name Ludie.

Group Share Count
Black 56.47% 253
White 34.38% 154
Two or More Races 3.57% 16
Hispanic 2.90% 13
Asian and Pacific Islander 2.23% 10
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.45% 2

The Census published separate sex and race/origin tables for first names, so their total counts can differ slightly for the same name. That is why the race section focuses on the demographic mix rather than repeating a second headline count.

Ludie: Popularity Over Time

SSA records for Ludie span from the 1880s to the 1970s, covering 10 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1910s, when 664 babies were registered. Ludie has declined significantly from its peak in the 1910s. Recent registrations are a fraction of what they were at the name's height.

Male
Female
0 19 38 57 76 95 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970

Ludie by Decade

How has Ludie tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.

Decade Total Male Female
1880s 209 0 209
1890s 349 5 344
1900s 450 0 450
1910s 664 79 585
1920s 639 85 554
1930s 330 52 278
1940s 213 33 180
1950s 81 5 76
1960s 17 6 11
1970s 5 5 0

Ludie by State

Birth registrations for Ludie span all 8 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in Alabama, Georgia, Texas. The lowest are in Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee. On average, about 114 Ludies were registered per state.

Ludie + Last Name Combinations

How many people share a full name with Ludie as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.

Ludie: Questions and Answers

How many people in the U.S. are named Ludie?

We estimate approximately 252 people named Ludie are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 1,360,136 Americans share this first name.

Is Ludie a common name?

Ludie is classified as "Very Rare" and is more popular than 77.2% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 2,957 births have been registered with this name since 1880.

When was Ludie most popular?

Ludie reached peak popularity in 1916, when 95 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Ludie is approximately 83 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.

How common was Ludie in the 2020 Census?

The 2020 Census recorded 445 people with the first name Ludie. That placed it at #22,398 in the published Census first-name tables, or 0.15 people per 100,000.

Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?

Because they measure different things. The Census number is a count of people with the name in 2020. The living estimate is a current model based on SSA birth records and survival rates, so it aims to estimate how many people with the name are alive now.

What does the SSA popularity chart show?

The popularity chart tracks birth registrations, not people currently alive. It shows how often Ludie was given to babies from 1880 through 2024, which is why it is the best tool on the page for seeing long-run naming trends.

What does the Census say about the gender split for Ludie?

In the 2020 Census snapshot, Ludie was recorded as predominantly female. The published split was 15.5% male and 84.5% female.

What does the Census say about the background of people named Ludie?

In the 2020 Census, the first name Ludie was most commonly recorded among people who identified as Black (56.47%). The next largest recorded groups were White (34.38%) and Two or More Races (3.57%). These percentages describe the people who had the name in the 2020 Census, not the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.

Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?

The Census published separate first-name tables for sex and for race and Hispanic origin. Those totals can differ slightly for the same name, so the page uses them as two related snapshots rather than treating them as perfectly interchangeable counts.

Does every first name have Census demographic data?

No. The public Census first-name tables only include names that met the Bureau's publication rules. That means some names on this site will have SSA history but no published Census demographic snapshot.

Is Ludie a female name?

Ludie is predominantly female. 90.9% of people with this name are female. See the gender breakdown above for full details.

Why can Ludie have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?

Because a name can build up a large population over many decades. Ludie peaked in 1916, and the average living bearer is about 83 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.

How many Ludie Smiths are there?

To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Ludie Smith, Ludie Johnson, Ludie Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.

Where does this data come from?

Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.

Search for a full name combination