Luther
A male given name transferred from the surname, originally in honor of Martin Luther.
Every Luther since 1880 — 67,421 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Luther
Luther is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #1,464 in 2025 with 122 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 67,421 American babies have been named Luther. Its peak came in 1922, when 1,490 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1920s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Luther stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Luther year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | — | 122 | #1,464 |
| 2024 | — | — | 119 | #1,508 |
| 2023 | — | — | 118 | #1,504 |
| 2022 | — | — | 112 | #1,584 |
| 2021 | — | — | 132 | #1,390 |
| 2020 | — | — | 112 | #1,509 |
| 2019 | — | — | 128 | #1,392 |
| 2018 | — | — | 113 | #1,517 |
| 2017 | — | — | 99 | #1,615 |
| 2016 | — | — | 99 | #1,627 |
| 2015 | — | — | 99 | #1,622 |
| 2014 | — | — | 101 | #1,570 |
| 2013 | — | — | 87 | #1,705 |
| 2012 | — | — | 80 | #1,841 |
| 2011 | — | — | 79 | #1,819 |
| 2010 | — | — | 73 | #1,934 |
| 2009 | — | — | 79 | #1,858 |
| 2008 | — | — | 85 | #1,770 |
| 2007 | — | — | 85 | #1,753 |
| 2006 | — | — | 91 | #1,601 |
| 2005 | — | — | 99 | #1,475 |
| 2004 | — | — | 70 | #1,796 |
| 2003 | — | — | 81 | #1,576 |
| 2002 | — | — | 87 | #1,465 |
| 2001 | — | — | 90 | #1,392 |
| 2000 | — | — | 103 | #1,268 |
| 1995 | — | — | 105 | #1,115 |
| 1990 | — | — | 176 | #767 |
| 1985 | — | — | 172 | #679 |
| 1980 | — | — | 206 | #610 |
| 1975 | — | — | 236 | #525 |
| 1970 | — | — | 345 | #441 |
| 1965 | — | — | 395 | #395 |
| 1960 | — | — | 528 | #340 |
| 1955 | 6 | #5,572 | 696 | #270 |
| 1950 | 7 | #4,566 | 761 | #237 |
| 1945 | 6 | #4,329 | 708 | #203 |
| 1940 | 9 | #3,110 | 824 | #177 |
| 1935 | 12 | #2,519 | 832 | #169 |
| 1930 | 16 | #2,163 | 1,109 | #148 |
| 1925 | 19 | #2,085 | 1,333 | #132 |
| 1920 | 11 | #3,021 | 1,379 | #123 |
| 1915 | 7 | #3,648 | 1,198 | #115 |
| 1910 | — | — | 383 | #87 |
| 1905 | — | — | 308 | #79 |
| 1900 | — | — | 316 | #82 |
| 1895 | — | — | 269 | #73 |
| 1890 | — | — | 253 | #71 |
| 1885 | — | — | 259 | #71 |
| 1880 | — | — | 260 | #64 |
Famous people named Luther
- Luther Burbank Biologist · 1849–1926
- Luther Vandross Singer · 1951–2005
- Luther Allison Musician · 1939–1997
- Luther Adler Actor · 1903–1984
- Luther Blissett Soccer player · b. 1958
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Luther mean?
A male given name transferred from the surname, originally in honor of Martin Luther.
How popular is the name Luther in 2025?
Luther ranked #1,464 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 122 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Luther?
67,421 babies have been named Luther in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Luther most popular?
Luther peaked in 1922, when 1,490 newborns received the name.
Is Luther a boy or girl name?
Luther is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 99% of babies with the name.
Is the name Luther rising or falling?
Luther is on the rise — noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Luther?
Well-known people named Luther include Luther Burbank (biologist), Luther Vandross (singer), Luther Allison (musician).