Show ContentsLudly History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Ludly is a name of ancient Anglo-Saxon origin and comes from a family once having lived on a hill beside a babbling river which was later referred to as Ludlow Ludly is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. Habitation names form the other broad category of surnames that were derived from place-names. They were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Other local names are derived from the names of houses, manors, estates, regions, and entire counties.

Early Origins of the Ludly family

The surname Ludly was first found in Shropshire at Ludlow, a market town close to the Welsh border and in the Welsh Marches. The first listing of the place name dates back to 1138 where it was listed as Ludelaue and literally meant "hill or tumulus by a rapid," derived from the Old English words hlude + hlaw. 1 Ludlow was called by the Britons Dinam, or "the palace of princes," and by the Saxons Leadlowe, and Ludlowe. One reference claims Robert de Montgomery, kinsman of the Conqueror, fortified the town with walls, and erected most of its stately castle in which he lived until his death in 1094. Yet another reference claims the castle was built by Walter de Lacy in the late 11th century as possession of Ludlow Castle descended through the Lacy family until 1115. Mother Ludlam's Cave or Mother Ludlum's Hole is a small cave in the sandstone cliff of the Wey Valley at Moor Park, near Farnham, Surrey. The earliest record of the place occurs when a monk named Symon found a spring rising in the cave in the 13th century. Mother Ludlam was claimed to be a white witch who lived in the cave. Her cauldron has been kept in Frensham Church nearby for centuries.

Early History of the Ludly family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ludly research. Another 69 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1551, 1588, 1590, 1617, 1634, 1664, 1680, 1692 and 1728 are included under the topic Early Ludly History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ludly Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Ludly has been recorded under many different variations, including Ludlow, Ludley, Ludloe and others.

Early Notables of the Ludly family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Roger Ludlow (1590-1664), an English lawyer, magistrate, military officer, and colonist who helped found the Colony of Connecticut, he directed Boston's first fortification, Castle William in 1634; Edmund Ludlow (Ludlowe) (c. 1617-1692), an English parliamentarian, best known for his involvement...
Another 47 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Ludly Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Ludly family to Ireland

Some of the Ludly family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 33 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Ludly migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Ludly or a variant listed above:

Ludly Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • John Ludly, who landed in Virginia in 1704 2


  1. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  2. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)


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