Luther - A very unique male name
Luther at a glance
Luther is ranked #1582 among boy baby names in 2025, with 60 births in 2025. It peaked in 1910 at #86 and first appeared on the charts in 1910.
- Rank in 2025
- #1582
- Births in 2025
- 60
- Peak year
- 1910 (#86)
- First appeared
- 1910
- Trend
- #1680 in 2020 → #1582 in 2025 (Rising)
- Popularity
- 1 in 24,438 boys
- Visitor rating
- 4.8/5 (4 recent votes)
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration · Data through 2025 · Updated 2026
With that position 1 in 24,438 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Luther peaked in popularity 116 years ago in 1910 on position 86.
Famous with this name
Luther Ford
Luther Adler
Luther Davis
How would you rate Luther, 1-5?
Luther is currently topping the charts in...
Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Luther is currently topping the baby name charts in Oklahoma at position #600 - and is the least popular in California at position #1,930.Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Luther is where you live.
Comment and discuss
Luther origin and meaning
Germanic
From Lothar: hlud, 'famous,' and hari, 'army' — 'famous warrior'
Luther is the shortened form of the Germanic name Lothar, carried into history by Martin Luther, the Reformation leader, whose surname made it a Protestant favourite. It peaked in the US in 1922 and fell for decades before a small recent uptick. For many families the name also honours Martin Luther King Jr., for whom Luther was a middle name shared with his father.
Attested etymology
Luther is a 6 letter name with 2 syllables.
To see famous people named Luther, pop culture references for the name Luther and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.Similar to Luther
We've found the following names that sound similar to Luther, sorted by popularity.
Latroy / Lautaro / Lothar /Name statistics
Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better
understanding of how popular or unique this name is.
With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually
differ a lot from state to state.
Chart position per year (visualized)
Chart position per state (visualized)
Chart position per year (table view)
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 1582 |
| 2024 | 1723 |
| 2023 | 1943 |
| 2022 | 1686 |
| 2021 | 1417 |
| 2020 | 1680 |
| 2019 | 1575 |
| 2018 | 1649 |
| 2017 | 1638 |
| 2016 | 1762 |
| 2015 | 1737 |
| 2014 | 1895 |
| 2013 | 1748 |
| 2012 | 2107 |
| 2011 | 2072 |
| 2010 | 2452 |
| 2009 | 2049 |
| 2008 | 2207 |
| 2007 | 2217 |
| 2006 | 2006 |
| 2005 | 1679 |
| 2004 | 1974 |
| 2003 | 1571 |
| 2002 | 1377 |
| 2001 | 1339 |
| 2000 | 1306 |
| 1999 | 1660 |
| 1998 | 1385 |
| 1997 | 1200 |
| 1996 | 1222 |
| 1995 | 1125 |
| 1994 | 1021 |
| 1993 | 864 |
| 1992 | 861 |
| 1991 | 876 |
| 1990 | 772 |
| 1989 | 718 |
| 1988 | 715 |
| 1987 | 695 |
| 1986 | 650 |
| 1985 | 712 |
| 1984 | 618 |
| 1983 | 563 |
| 1982 | 552 |
| 1981 | 545 |
| 1980 | 610 |
| 1979 | 537 |
| 1978 | 556 |
| 1977 | 522 |
| 1976 | 506 |
| 1975 | 524 |
| 1974 | 504 |
| 1973 | 490 |
| 1972 | 462 |
| 1971 | 444 |
| 1970 | 434 |
| 1969 | 434 |
| 1968 | 426 |
| 1967 | 444 |
| 1966 | 390 |
| 1965 | 389 |
| 1964 | 364 |
| 1963 | 369 |
| 1962 | 365 |
| 1961 | 362 |
| 1960 | 335 |
| 1959 | 337 |
| 1958 | 334 |
| 1957 | 315 |
| 1956 | 303 |
| 1955 | 267 |
| 1954 | 272 |
| 1953 | 266 |
| 1952 | 251 |
| 1951 | 256 |
| 1950 | 240 |
| 1949 | 239 |
| 1948 | 225 |
| 1947 | 225 |
| 1946 | 212 |
| 1945 | 203 |
| 1944 | 185 |
| 1943 | 194 |
| 1942 | 182 |
| 1941 | 179 |
| 1940 | 179 |
| 1939 | 184 |
| 1938 | 174 |
| 1937 | 170 |
| 1936 | 173 |
| 1935 | 169 |
| 1934 | 166 |
| 1933 | 161 |
| 1932 | 159 |
| 1931 | 156 |
| 1930 | 148 |
| 1929 | 145 |
| 1928 | 145 |
| 1927 | 140 |
| 1926 | 135 |
| 1925 | 132 |
| 1924 | 127 |
| 1923 | 126 |
| 1922 | 118 |
| 1921 | 123 |
| 1920 | 123 |
| 1919 | 117 |
| 1918 | 120 |
| 1917 | 116 |
| 1916 | 116 |
| 1915 | 116 |
| 1914 | 114 |
| 1913 | 117 |
| 1912 | 115 |
| 1911 | 98 |
| 1910 | 86 |
Chart position per state (table view)
| State | Rank |
|---|---|
| Oklahoma | 600 |
| Minnesota | 617 |
| Missouri | 839 |
| Ohio | 909 |
| Washington | 1088 |
| Florida | 1571 |
| Texas | 1715 |
| California | 1930 |
Even more about Luther
These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.
Is Luther a common or unique name?
By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.What is the number of syllables for the name Luther?
2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.Pronunciation
LOO-thur · /ˈluθər/
Around the world
- Lothar (German) — The fuller Germanic form from which Luther derives.
Spellings and nicknames
- Lothar — The German form — a separate established name.
Famous bearers
- Martin Luther — German theologian who launched the Protestant Reformation (1483–1546) Historical
- Luther Vandross — American R&B and soul singer (1951–2005) Contemporary
Style
Classic
Why parents choose it
Luther carries reform, faith and civil-rights resonance in a solid, unfussy two syllables.
Worth knowing
- Strongly associated with Martin Luther and, by extension, Martin Luther King Jr. — a tribute most bearers will be asked about.
