Total births
66,986
Boys' name · since 1880
Luther
66,986 babies named Luther in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1922. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #1503
- among boys today
- 66,986
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 89%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Luther is the #1503 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 66,986 recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Luther has been recorded 66,986 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #1503 nationally and more common than 89% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #1503 among boys today
- 66,986 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 89% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Luther is currently the #1503 boys' name in America, more common than 89% of boys - 66,986 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #1503
- among boys today
- 66,986
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 89%
- more common than other boys
Luther vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1503
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 89% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
20% of everyone ever named Luther was born in this single decade.
1922
Single peak year
1,477 babies were named Luther in 1922 - its busiest year on record.
How Luther compares
66,986 Top 3% higher than 97% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Luther's all-time total is 183x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Luther | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 66,986 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 1,477 | 23 | 22,252 |
Luther's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Luther's full recorded timeline at 1953, 25% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 75% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 2004, with just 70 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1922 peak of 1,477 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Luther at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1922
Current rank
#1,503
Active since
1880
Luther popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1922)
- 1,477
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Luther popularity over time - girls
435 total births recorded since 1907 (Luther as girls' name)
Luther by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Luther's strongest decade.
13,197 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 20% of all-time use.
Luther births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 2,619
1880s
2,619 births
- 1890s 2,668
1890s
2,668 births
- 1900s 2,866
1900s
2,866 births
- 1910s
1910s
9,762 births
- 1920s
1920s
13,197 births
- 1930s
1930s
8,860 births
- 1940s
1940s
8,141 births
- 1950s
1950s
6,479 births
- 1960s 4,069
1960s
4,069 births
- 1970s 2,615
1970s
2,615 births
- 1980s 1,934
1980s
1,934 births
- 1990s 1,233
1990s
1,233 births
- 2000s 870
2000s
870 births
- 2010s 958
2010s
958 births
- 2020s 715
2020s
715 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 13,197 births (20% of all-time use).
How Luther compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Luther's total volume
Luther vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Luther by state
Where Luther concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | North Carolina | | 5,067 | 7.6% |
| #2 | Texas | | 4,393 | 6.6% |
| #3 | Georgia | | 4,259 | 6.4% |
| #4 | South Carolina | | 3,565 | 5.3% |
| #5 | Alabama | | 3,295 | 4.9% |
| #6 | Tennessee | | 3,282 | 4.9% |
| #7 | Mississippi | | 3,164 | 4.7% |
| #8 | Virginia | | 3,057 | 4.6% |
North Carolina share of Luther's total US births 7.6%
Even split
5,067 of 66,986 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 42 reporting states.
Luther appears in 42 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Luther? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 66,986 babies named Luther. Today it holds rank #1503 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1922, with 1,477 births.
When was Luther most popular? ▼
Luther was most popular in the 1920s decade with 13,197 total births. The single peak year was 1922.
Where is Luther most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Luther are North Carolina (5,067 births), Texas (4,393 births), Georgia (4,259 births).
How long has the name Luther been used? ▼
Luther has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Luther? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Luthur, Lute, Lutrell, Luthor, and 2 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Luther's data
- Luther's decade-level peak was the 1920s (13,197 total births); usage has since declined to 715 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- North Carolina records the most Luthers (5,067 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. North Carolina names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Luther
Nearby Names Like Luther
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Luther
Luthur Boy
37 births
Lute Boy
21 births
Lutrell Boy
15 births
Luthor Boy
15 births
Lutalo Boy
10 births
Compare Luther side by side: Luther vs Luthur Luther vs Lute Luther vs Lutrell
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Luther
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Luther: #1503 Boys' Name - 66,986 Births, Peak 1922." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/luther. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Luther draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.