Ludwig

English

Etymology

Borrowed from German Ludwig, which see for more information. Doublet of Louis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈludvɪɡ/, /ˈlʌdwɪɡ/

Proper noun

Ludwig (plural Ludwigs)

1. A male given name from German.

German

Alternative forms

• Chlodwig (chiefly in historical names)

Etymology

From Middle High German Ludewig, from Old High German Ludhuwīg, Hludwig, *Hlūtwīg, from Proto-West Germanic *Hlūdawīg. The first element is (h)lūt (“famed; loud”) (whence modern German laut), from Proto-Germanic *hlūdaz, *hlūþaz (whence also English loud), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱlew- (“to hear”). The second element is Old High German wīg (“battle, strife”) from Proto-Germanic *wīgą.

The name is attested as Ludhuwīg in the Straßburger Eide of 842 (where it contrasts with Old French Lodhuuig and Latin Lodhuuic), and as Hludwig in the Rhine Franconian Old High German of the Ludwigslied of 881 (where it contrasts with Latin Hluduicus). Compare Clovis, Dutch Lodewijk, English Lewis, and French Louis.

Pronunciation

• (standard) IPA^(key): /ˈluːtvɪç/

• Audio:

  (file)

• (Southern Germany, Austria, Switzerland) IPA^(key): /ˈluːtvɪk/

• Audio:

  (file)

• (western Germany) IPA^(key): /ˈlʊtvɪç/

Proper noun

Ludwig m (proper noun, strong, genitive Ludwigs)

1. a male given name, feminine equivalent Luise, Luisa, Louise, or Louisa; variant forms Lutz, Luis, Louis

Descendants

• → Czech: Ludvík
• → English: Ludwig
• → Finnish: Ludvig
• → Latvian: Ludvigs
• → Norwegian: Ludvig
• → Polish: Ludwik
• → Swedish: Ludvig
• → Chinese: → 路德維希／路德维希 (Lùdéwéixī) (transliteration)

Proper noun

Ludwig m or f (proper noun, surname, masculine genitive Ludwigs or (with an article) Ludwig, feminine genitive Ludwig, plural Ludwigs)

1. a surname originating as a patronymic

Swedish

Alternative forms

• Ludde (diminutive)

Proper noun

Ludwig c (genitive Ludwigs)

1. a male given name, variant of Ludvig

Statistics

• According to the Swedish Tax Agency's 2023 registry, the given name Ludwig belong to 8,003 individuals in Sweden.