Luther
Luther was given to 122 boys in 2025, #1,464 among boys’ names; 67,421 Americans have been recorded with it since 1880 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026).
An estimated 20,000 Americans named Luther and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (30% of everyone recorded); the median is 64 years old and half are between 44 and 76.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of Luther by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
What does Luther mean?
Wiktionary, English section
Luther is “a male given name transferred from the surname, originally in honor of Martin Luther.”
From German Luther.
/ˈluθɚ/
Meaning: Wiktionary, English section, as of Sep 25, 2026 (CC BY‑SA 4.0).
How popular is Luther?
#1,464 among boys’ names, 2025
Luther rose from #1,622 in 2015 to #1,464 in 2025 among boys’ names; its share of boys born rose from 51.7 to 71.4 per million.
1,490 babies in 1922, the peak
Luther peaked in 1922, when 1,490 babies were given it (1,477 boys, #118 among boys’ names). The 122 births of 2025 are 8% of that peak.
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 122 | #1,464 | 0.07 |
| 2024 | 119 | #1,508 | 0.07 |
| 2023 | 118 | #1,504 | 0.07 |
| 2022 | 112 | #1,584 | 0.06 |
| 2021 | 132 | #1,390 | 0.08 |
| 2020 | 112 | #1,509 | 0.06 |
| 2019 | 128 | #1,392 | 0.07 |
| 2018 | 113 | #1,517 | 0.06 |
| 2017 | 99 | #1,615 | 0.05 |
| 2016 | 99 | #1,627 | 0.05 |
Every recorded year (146)
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 99 | #1,622 | 0.05 |
| 2014 | 101 | #1,570 | 0.05 |
| 2013 | 87 | #1,704 | 0.05 |
| 2012 | 80 | #1,840 | 0.04 |
| 2011 | 79 | #1,818 | 0.04 |
| 2010 | 73 | #1,933 | 0.04 |
| 2009 | 79 | #1,857 | 0.04 |
| 2008 | 85 | #1,770 | 0.04 |
| 2007 | 85 | #1,753 | 0.04 |
| 2006 | 91 | #1,601 | 0.04 |
| 2005 | 99 | #1,474 | 0.05 |
| 2004 | 70 | #1,793 | 0.04 |
| 2003 | 81 | #1,573 | 0.04 |
| 2002 | 87 | #1,462 | 0.04 |
| 2001 | 90 | #1,388 | 0.05 |
| 2000 | 103 | #1,265 | 0.05 |
| 1999 | 88 | #1,359 | 0.05 |
| 1998 | 107 | #1,168 | 0.06 |
| 1997 | 101 | #1,182 | 0.05 |
| 1996 | 102 | #1,157 | 0.05 |
| 1995 | 105 | #1,112 | 0.06 |
| 1994 | 126 | #988 | 0.07 |
| 1993 | 147 | #878 | 0.07 |
| 1992 | 136 | #907 | 0.07 |
| 1991 | 145 | #871 | 0.07 |
| 1990 | 176 | #763 | 0.09 |
| 1989 | 190 | #715 | 0.09 |
| 1988 | 173 | #712 | 0.09 |
| 1987 | 155 | #732 | 0.08 |
| 1986 | 185 | #659 | 0.10 |
| 1985 | 172 | #679 | 0.09 |
| 1984 | 181 | #640 | 0.10 |
| 1983 | 213 | #579 | 0.12 |
| 1982 | 228 | #569 | 0.13 |
| 1981 | 231 | #564 | 0.13 |
| 1980 | 206 | #610 | 0.12 |
| 1979 | 237 | #559 | 0.14 |
| 1978 | 220 | #566 | 0.13 |
| 1977 | 234 | #544 | 0.14 |
| 1976 | 244 | #515 | 0.16 |
| 1975 | 236 | #525 | 0.15 |
| 1974 | 242 | #511 | 0.15 |
| 1973 | 248 | #497 | 0.16 |
| 1972 | 293 | #459 | 0.18 |
| 1971 | 316 | #459 | 0.18 |
| 1970 | 345 | #441 | 0.19 |
| 1969 | 335 | #433 | 0.19 |
| 1968 | 319 | #430 | 0.18 |
| 1967 | 285 | #447 | 0.16 |
| 1966 | 364 | #394 | 0.20 |
| 1965 | 395 | #395 | 0.21 |
| 1964 | 449 | #370 | 0.23 |
| 1963 | 443 | #379 | 0.22 |
| 1962 | 460 | #376 | 0.22 |
| 1961 | 491 | #359 | 0.23 |
| 1960 | 528 | #340 | 0.25 |
| 1959 | 522 | #339 | 0.24 |
| 1958 | 523 | #337 | 0.25 |
| 1957 | 584 | #316 | 0.27 |
| 1956 | 612 | #301 | 0.29 |
| 1955 | 696 | #270 | 0.34 |
| 1954 | 670 | #274 | 0.33 |
| 1953 | 687 | #266 | 0.35 |
| 1952 | 741 | #251 | 0.38 |
| 1951 | 683 | #256 | 0.36 |
| 1950 | 761 | #237 | 0.43 |
| 1949 | 745 | #237 | 0.42 |
| 1948 | 831 | #225 | 0.47 |
| 1947 | 826 | #223 | 0.45 |
| 1946 | 810 | #211 | 0.50 |
| 1945 | 708 | #203 | 0.53 |
| 1944 | 853 | #185 | 0.63 |
| 1943 | 843 | #190 | 0.59 |
| 1942 | 858 | #185 | 0.62 |
| 1941 | 843 | #179 | 0.69 |
| 1940 | 824 | #177 | 0.71 |
| 1939 | 765 | #184 | 0.69 |
| 1938 | 827 | #177 | 0.75 |
| 1937 | 864 | #169 | 0.81 |
| 1936 | 804 | #171 | 0.78 |
| 1935 | 832 | #169 | 0.80 |
| 1934 | 862 | #167 | 0.83 |
| 1933 | 878 | #162 | 0.89 |
| 1932 | 961 | #157 | 0.92 |
| 1931 | 958 | #156 | 0.92 |
| 1930 | 1,109 | #148 | 1.0 |
| 1929 | 1,120 | #145 | 1.0 |
| 1928 | 1,153 | #145 | 1.0 |
| 1927 | 1,258 | #139 | 1.1 |
| 1926 | 1,295 | #135 | 1.2 |
| 1925 | 1,333 | #132 | 1.2 |
| 1924 | 1,396 | #127 | 1.2 |
| 1923 | 1,333 | #126 | 1.2 |
| 1922 | 1,477 | #118 | 1.4 |
| 1921 | 1,453 | #123 | 1.3 |
| 1920 | 1,379 | #123 | 1.3 |
| 1919 | 1,378 | #117 | 1.4 |
| 1918 | 1,416 | #119 | 1.4 |
| 1917 | 1,304 | #116 | 1.4 |
| 1916 | 1,287 | #116 | 1.4 |
| 1915 | 1,198 | #115 | 1.4 |
| 1914 | 991 | #114 | 1.5 |
| 1913 | 747 | #116 | 1.5 |
| 1912 | 664 | #114 | 1.5 |
| 1911 | 394 | #100 | 1.7 |
| 1910 | 383 | #87 | 2.0 |
| 1909 | 347 | #87 | 2.1 |
| 1908 | 292 | #91 | 1.9 |
| 1907 | 280 | #91 | 1.9 |
| 1906 | 262 | #89 | 2.0 |
| 1905 | 308 | #79 | 2.3 |
| 1904 | 286 | #82 | 2.2 |
| 1903 | 265 | #80 | 2.2 |
| 1902 | 266 | #81 | 2.2 |
| 1901 | 244 | #79 | 2.3 |
| 1900 | 316 | #82 | 2.1 |
| 1899 | 248 | #81 | 2.3 |
| 1898 | 275 | #76 | 2.2 |
| 1897 | 271 | #71 | 2.4 |
| 1896 | 265 | #74 | 2.2 |
| 1895 | 269 | #73 | 2.3 |
| 1894 | 285 | #71 | 2.5 |
| 1893 | 271 | #70 | 2.4 |
| 1892 | 295 | #70 | 2.4 |
| 1891 | 236 | #71 | 2.3 |
| 1890 | 253 | #71 | 2.3 |
| 1889 | 270 | #72 | 2.4 |
| 1888 | 275 | #74 | 2.3 |
| 1887 | 267 | #63 | 2.6 |
| 1886 | 253 | #71 | 2.3 |
| 1885 | 259 | #71 | 2.4 |
| 1884 | 273 | #69 | 2.4 |
| 1883 | 229 | #69 | 2.2 |
| 1882 | 284 | #64 | 2.5 |
| 1881 | 249 | #65 | 2.5 |
| 1880 | 260 | #64 | 2.4 |
Ranks and shares: boys’ names in each year’s SSA file; share of all boys SSA recorded that year.
Is Luther a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Luther has been given almost only to boys: 435 girls in 146 years of records.
Girls and boys named Luther: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named Luther, and how old are they?
20,000 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 30% of the 67,421 Americans ever recorded as Luther. The median Luther alive today is 64 years old; half are between 44 and 76.
The 2020 Census counted 19,674 people named Luther (78 women and girls, 19,596 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 23,461 born in the U.S. The Census count is 16% below that prediction. Possible reasons: people who give a short form or another name to the Census, and a survival estimate that can run high.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 2,930 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 7,770 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 3,980 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 2,520 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 1,370 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 1,430 |
An estimate, not a count. SSA’s files count people born in the United States who received a Social Security number, so anyone born abroad is not in them; before 1937 most people got a number as adults, and their survival is counted from that age.
Living estimate: SSA births carried forward with the survival rates in SSA’s cohort life tables (2024 Trustees Report) for each birth year and sex. How the estimate is made. Count: Census Bureau, first names in the 2020 Census (released April 14, 2026; names reported 100 or more times, with the Bureau’s disclosure-avoidance adjustment).
Where are babies named Luther born?
The states with the most babies named Luther are North Carolina, Texas and Georgia, with 25% of its births recorded by state since 1910.
| State | Since 1910 | Rank, boys | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | 5,067 | not ranked | 2.7× |
| Texas | 4,393 | #1,715 | 1.3× |
| Georgia | 4,259 | not ranked | 2.4× |
| South Carolina | 3,565 | not ranked | 3.1× |
| Alabama | 3,295 | not ranked | 2.3× |
| Tennessee | 3,282 | not ranked | 2.3× |
| Mississippi | 3,164 | not ranked | 2.9× |
| Virginia | 3,057 | not ranked | 2.2× |
| Kentucky | 2,716 | not ranked | 2.0× |
| Pennsylvania | 2,326 | not ranked | 0.5× |
Where Luther is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, Luther is most over-represented in South Carolina: since 1910 it was given 3.1 times as often there as its national share each year would predict.
States: SSA state file, 1910-2025, published May 8, 2026; births count girls and boys together, and the rank is among boys’ names in the state in 2025. The file leaves out any state and year with fewer than 5 babies of the name, so small states are undercounted; each ratio compares the state’s births of Luther with the births its national share predicts year by year, for states with at least 100 births of the name.
Names that rose and fell in the same decades as Luther
Names whose births rose and fell across the same decades, measured on each decade’s share of births.
Similar histories: each decade’s share of births, from the SSA national file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
More about Luther and names like it
- Compare Luther and GranvilleBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 1920sLuther peaked in 1922.
- North Carolina’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named Luther since 1910.
- From surnamesWiktionary’s origin for Luther: every such name, by how often it is given.
- The top names of 1922The year the most babies were named Luther.
- The names of the Baby BoomersMost people named Luther alive today were born 1946-1964.
- Names starting with LMost given first.