Given name & surname · also Germanic
Luther
“a soldier of the people”
Luther is used as a given name and a surname. One German interpretation is “a soldier of the people.”
Original GermanChlothar
Meaning & origin
What it means
One German interpretation is “a soldier of the people.”
Where it comes from
This spelling has been associated with German and Germanic naming traditions.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Luther through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 67,421
- 66,986 boys · 435 girls
- Most popular year
- 1922
- 1,490 babies
- 2025
- 122
- #1,464 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +9%
- Steady
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 122 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 1,464 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 9.4% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 1,477 in 1922. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (10). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 19,674 as a first name in 2020; 13,027 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Luther’s family of names
In Chinese usage, Luther as a surname has a short form in 路德. Luther has a conventional equivalent in the German form Chlothar. Luther has a related form in Louther.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Luther has relatives in 5 languages. Lines run from its Proto-Germanic roots to each of them.
5 related names in 5 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 10
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Luthorvariant · English
- 路德short form · Chinese
- Luthosvariant
- Luthasvariant
- Luthusvariant
- Loutherovariant
- Luterovariant
- Lutherovariant
Show 2 moreShow fewer
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 3
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Luther
- Luther BurbankAmerican botanist and horticulturist (1849–1926)
- Luther VandrossAmerican R&B singer (1951–2005)
- Luther AdlerAmerican actor (1903–1984)
- Luther BlissettEnglish association football player, coach and manager (born 1958)
- Luther StrangeAlabama lawyer and politicianborn 1953
- Luther AllisonAmerican blues guitarist (1939–1997)
- Luther IngramAmerican R&B and soul singer-songwriter (1937-2007)
- Luther SinghSouth African association football playerborn 1997
- Luther von BraunschweigGerman noble1275–1335
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Luther, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Otis
“a wealthy man” · “one who is acute”
>99% boys
Warner
“of the defending army”
98% boys · 2% girls
Wilmer
“a strong-willed and wellknown man”
>99% boys
Arnold
“the eagle ruler”
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Ernest
“one who is sincere and determined; serious”
>99% boys
Leroy
“the king”
>99% boys
Warren
“from the fortress; from the enclosure” · “a gamekeeper”
99% boys · 1% girls
Walter
“the commander of the army”
>99% boys