Luther Boy

Popularity: #816 · Trend: ↗ Rising

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: LOO-thur /ˈluːθər/

Origin: German; Latin

Meaning: German: army people; Latin: light

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Luther has its roots in the Germanic elements "hlud," meaning "fame," and "heri," meaning "army." This etymological combination suggests a meaning akin to "famous warrior." The name was introduced into English through the influence of the Protestant Reformation, particularly associated with Martin Luther, a seminal figure in 16th-century Christianity. Luther's translation of the Bible into German and his role in challenging the Catholic Church's practices significantly impacted religious thought and practice in Europe, leading to the establishment of Protestantism.

Historically, Martin Luther (1483–1546) is the most notable bearer of the name. His Ninety-Five Theses, published in 1517, sparked widespread theological debate and ultimately contributed to the Protestant Reformation.

Luther's work not only transformed religious landscapes but also influenced the development of the German language through his translation of the Bible, which made the scriptures accessible to the common people. The name gained further prominence in various cultural contexts, particularly among Protestant communities, as a symbol of reform and religious conviction.

Culturally, the name Luther carries connotations of strength, resilience, and a commitment to one's beliefs. It has been associated with various historical figures beyond Martin Luther, including Luther Burbank, an influential American botanist in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, who contributed significantly to agricultural science.

The name's enduring legacy is reflected in its symbolic association with reformative movements and the quest for religious and personal integrity, making it a name of historical significance.

Famous people named Luther

In this section, you will find notable people named Luther. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Luther who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Luther who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Luther Vandross is a singer and songwriter best known for Never Too Much, Here and Now, and Dance with My Father.

Luther Burbank is a horticulturist best known for developing new plant varieties, including the Burbank potato and the Shasta daisy.

Luther Campbell is a rapper and music producer best known for his work with 2 Live Crew and his advocacy for First Amendment rights in music.

Fictional characters named Luther

The following list of fictional characters named Luther is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Luther Stickell is a fictional character from the Mission: Impossible film series. He is a skilled field agent and a key member of the IMF team, known for his technical expertise and loyalty.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Luther, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

MartinPhilipSamuelHenryCharlesJames

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Luther. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

LucasLandonLoganLiamLyleLutheran

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Luther was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Luther has ranked as high as #278 nationally, which occurred in 1922, and has been most popular in North Carolina, Texas, Georgia, South Carolina, and Alabama.

In the past 5 years the name Luther has been trending up compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Luther is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Luther was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Luther.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 122 122 0
2024 119 119 0
2023 118 118 0
2022 112 112 0
2021 132 132 0
2020 112 112 0
2019 128 128 0
2018 113 113 0
2017 99 99 0
2016 99 99 0
2015 99 99 0
2014 101 101 0
2013 87 87 0
2012 80 80 0
2011 79 79 0
2010 73 73 0
2009 79 79 0
2008 85 85 0
2007 85 85 0
2006 91 91 0
2005 99 99 0
2004 70 70 0
2003 81 81 0
2002 87 87 0
2001 90 90 0
2000 103 103 0
1999 88 88 0
1998 107 107 0
1997 101 101 0
1996 102 102 0
1995 105 105 0
1994 126 126 0
1993 147 147 0
1992 136 136 0
1991 145 145 0
1990 176 176 0
1989 190 190 0
1988 173 173 0
1987 155 155 0
1986 185 185 0
1985 172 172 0
1984 181 181 0
1983 213 213 0
1982 228 228 0
1981 231 231 0
1980 206 206 0
1979 237 237 0
1978 220 220 0
1977 234 234 0
1976 244 244 0
1975 236 236 0
1974 242 242 0
1973 248 248 0
1972 293 293 0
1971 316 316 0
1970 345 345 0
1969 340 335 5
1968 319 319 0
1967 290 285 5
1966 370 364 6
1965 395 395 0
1964 449 449 0
1963 443 443 0
1962 460 460 0
1961 491 491 0
1960 528 528 0
1959 522 522 0
1958 532 523 9
1957 584 584 0
1956 612 612 0
1955 702 696 6
1954 678 670 8
1953 692 687 5
1952 747 741 6
1951 683 683 0
1950 768 761 7
1949 750 745 5
1948 839 831 8
1947 826 826 0
1946 810 810 0
1945 714 708 6
1944 859 853 6
1943 848 843 5
1942 863 858 5
1941 851 843 8
1940 833 824 9
1939 773 765 8
1938 832 827 5
1937 871 864 7
1936 804 804 0
1935 844 832 12
1934 870 862 8
1933 886 878 8
1932 973 961 12
1931 970 958 12
1930 1,125 1,109 16
1929 1,137 1,120 17
1928 1,174 1,153 21
1927 1,278 1,258 20
1926 1,319 1,295 24
1925 1,352 1,333 19
1924 1,413 1,396 17
1923 1,347 1,333 14
1922 1,490 1,477 13
1921 1,464 1,453 11
1920 1,390 1,379 11
1919 1,393 1,378 15
1918 1,424 1,416 8
1917 1,314 1,304 10
1916 1,293 1,287 6
1915 1,205 1,198 7
1914 998 991 7
1913 754 747 7
1912 664 664 0
1911 400 394 6
1910 383 383 0
1909 347 347 0
1908 292 292 0
1907 285 280 5
1906 262 262 0
1905 308 308 0
1904 286 286 0
1903 265 265 0
1902 266 266 0
1901 244 244 0
1900 316 316 0
1899 248 248 0
1898 275 275 0
1897 271 271 0
1896 265 265 0
1895 269 269 0
1894 285 285 0
1893 271 271 0
1892 295 295 0
1891 236 236 0
1890 253 253 0
1889 270 270 0
1888 275 275 0
1887 267 267 0
1886 253 253 0
1885 259 259 0
1884 273 273 0
1883 229 229 0
1882 284 284 0
1881 249 249 0
1880 260 260 0

Top States for Luther (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
TX 10
20%
CA 9
18%
OH 7
14%
MN 6
12%
NY 6
12%
MI 6
12%
GA 5
10%