Luther
German surname from Germanic liut “people” plus heri “army”; American use honors reformer Martin Luther, and later Martin Luther King Jr.
Popularity, 1880–2025
Luther appears in the national records from the very first year, 1880. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American boys in every year from 1880 to 1911. Its biggest year was 1922, when 1,477 newborn boys received the name, ranking it No. 118 nationally. Its best ranking came in 1887, at No. 63. All told, 67,421 Americans have been given the name since 1880.
Explore Luther interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 2,619 | No. 63 |
| 1890s | 2,668 | No. 70 |
| 1900s | 2,866 | No. 79 |
| 1910s | 9,762 | No. 87 |
| 1920s | 13,197 | No. 118 |
| 1930s | 8,860 | No. 148 |
| 1940s | 8,141 | No. 177 |
| 1950s | 6,479 | No. 237 |
| 1960s | 4,069 | No. 338 |
| 1970s | 2,615 | No. 440 |
| 1980s | 1,934 | No. 562 |
| 1990s | 1,233 | No. 766 |
| 2000s | 870 | No. 1267 |
| 2010s | 958 | No. 1386 |
| 2020s | 715 | No. 1383 |
Births and rank shown for boys, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.
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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.