boys' name ★ peaked 1922

Luther

Gender Boy · 1% girls Rank 2025 #1,464 Trend → Stable

A male given name transferred from the surname, originally in honor of Martin Luther.

Rank 2025
#1,464
among boys · ↑44 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
122
named Luther · +3% vs 2024
How common
1 in 14,001
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1922
1,490 babies
All-time total
67,421
#418 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Luther popularity over time

67,421 babies have been named Luther since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.751.52.25318801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – 2,619 2,619 262 – #63
1890s – 2,668 2,668 267 +2% #70
1900s 5 2,866 2,871 287 +8% #79
1910s 66 9,762 9,828 983 +242% #87
1920s 167 13,197 13,364 1,336 +36% #118
1930s 88 8,860 8,948 895 -33% #148
1940s 52 8,141 8,193 819 -8% #177
1950s 41 6,479 6,520 652 -20% #237
1960s 16 4,069 4,085 409 -37% #340
1970s – 2,615 2,615 262 -36% #441
1980s – 1,934 1,934 193 -26% #564
1990s – 1,233 1,233 123 -36% #767
2000s – 870 870 87 -29% #1,268
2010s – 958 958 96 +10% #1,392
2020s (to 2025) – 715 715 119 +24% #1,390

Where Luther is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 123 0.07 outside top 500
2027 124 0.07 outside top 500
2028 125 0.07 outside top 500
2029 125 0.07 outside top 500
2030 126 0.07 outside top 500

Where Luther is most popular

Boys named Luther per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.070 per 1,000. Strongest in Minnesota, Oklahoma, and Virginia.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Luther born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Boys 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
Minnesota 26 0.212 +204%
Oklahoma 12 0.136 +94%
Virginia 19 0.100 +43%
Ohio 24 0.091 +30%
Georgia 18 0.071 ≈ national
North Carolina 18 0.070 ≈ national
Washington 11 0.067 ≈ national
Oregon 5 0.066 -6%
Texas 56 0.064 -9%
Tennessee 10 0.055 -21%
Wisconsin 6 0.051 -27%
Missouri 6 0.043 -38%
California 30 0.033 -53%
Michigan 6 0.029 -58%
New York 11 0.025 -64%
Florida 12 0.025 -64%
Pennsylvania 6 0.023 -68%
Illinois 5 0.020 -72%
Alaska – – –
Alabama – – –
Arkansas – – –
Arizona – – –
Colorado – – –
Connecticut – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Hawaii – – –
Iowa – – –
Idaho – – –
Indiana – – –
Kansas – – –
Kentucky – – –
Louisiana – – –
Massachusetts – – –
Maryland – – –
Maine – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Jersey – – –
New Mexico – – –
Nevada – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Carolina – – –
South Dakota – – –
Utah – – –
Vermont – – –
West Virginia – – –
Wyoming – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

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.

How old are people named Luther?

The median living Luther is about 64 years old; half are between 45 and 76. An estimated 22 thousand people named Luther are alive in the United States today.

median 64 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

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

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Luther Vandross Luther Vandross American singer (1951–2005) Contemporary
  2. 2 Luther Burbank Luther Burbank American botanist and horticulturist (1849–1926) 19th century
  3. 3 Luther Adler Luther Adler American actor (1903–1984) Contemporary
  4. 4 Luther Strange Luther Strange American politician & lawyer (born 1953) Contemporary
  5. 5 Luther Blissett English association football player, coach, and manager (born 1958) Contemporary
  6. 6 Luther Allison Luther Allison American blues guitarist (1939–1997) Contemporary
  7. 7 Luther Ingram Luther Ingram American songwriter (1937–2007) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Luther, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Luther?

The median living Luther is about 64 years old. Half of all living Luthers are between 45 and 76 years old.

How many people named Luther are alive today?

An estimated 22 thousand people named Luther are alive in the United States, based on 67,421 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

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.

Will Luther become more popular?

Luther looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 126 boys named Luther in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Luther?

Well-known people named Luther include Luther Vandross (singer), Luther Burbank (biologist), Luther Adler (actor).

Names like Luther

Names that sound and feel close to Luther: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Luther with similar names → More names starting with L →