First recorded: c.1861 (Griffith’s Valuation)
Location: Off New Lodge Road, originally running through to Hardinge Street
Name origin: Possibly after Ludlow, a market town in Shropshire, though the exact reason for its choice in Belfast is uncertain
History:
Ludlow Street was laid out in the mid-19th century as Belfast expanded northwards from the city centre into the New Lodge district. It is listed in Griffith’s Valuation (c.1861) and appears in street directories of the 1860s–1880s, described as a small residential street running “from New Lodge Road to Hardinge Street.” Early directories note “a number of small houses” along its length.
The name “Ludlow” may have been borrowed from the English town of that name in Shropshire, following a wider Victorian habit of importing English place names into Belfast’s new developments. No direct connection to a local family or figure called Ludlow has yet been found.
Ludlow Square emerged later, in the 20th century, as housing developments reshaped the area. It does not appear in 19th-century records or in the 1911 census street index, suggesting it was created after this period. Local evidence indicates that Ludlow Square occupies or adjoins the site of the former Ludlow Street, with the older name retained for continuity.
Summary:
Ludlow Street: Established c.1860s, possibly named after Ludlow (Shropshire).
Ludlow Square: Developed later (20th century), replacing/renaming part of Ludlow Street.
Both names reflect Belfast’s 19th-century pattern of adopting English place names for new streets.
Griffith’s Valuation (Dock Ward, c.1861) – reference to Ludlow Street
Belfast Street Directories, 1860s–1890s (entries for Ludlow Street, New Lodge Road)
1911 Census of Ireland, Belfast street index (Ludlow Street listed; no Ludlow Square)
Northern Ireland Place-Name Project – note on “Ludlow” (deriving from Ludlow, Shropshire)