Nameling

Luther

Gender
Boy
Say it
LOO-ther
Origin
Germanic
UK rank, 2025
#2,202 for boys
US rank, 2025
#1,459 for boys

Luther is a boys' name of Germanic origin, meaning “famous army”. In 2025 it ranked 2,202nd for boys in the UK (11 babies) and 1,459th for boys in the US (122 babies).

What does Luther mean?

Germanic: German surname, from Lothar

“famous army”

Used as a first name in honour of the reformer Martin Luther and, later, of Martin Luther King Jr.

More on Wiktionary.

Is Luther a girl's or a boy's name?

Luther is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 11 boys in the UK and 122 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.

How popular is Luther in the UK?

Rank in 2025
#2,202among boys
Babies in 2025
11about 1 in 27,000 boys
Five-year trend
Steadydown 7% in five years
Same name in a class
under 1%chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 11 boys in the UK were named Luther, making it the 2,202nd most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,179th. Its busiest year was 2016, with 25 boys.

2025 had fewer boys named Luther than any year since 2011.

Half of all the boys named Luther in the UK since 1996 were born between 2010 and 2021, the years shaded on the chart below.

Among boys in 2025, it was 2,130th in England and Wales.

1996Busiest: 25 in 20162025
Luther in the UK, year by year
YearBoysRank
202511#2,202
202416#1,664
202325#1,214
202224#1,229
202120#1,389
202025#1,179
201912#1,974
201819#1,416
201722#1,290
201625#1,195
201520#1,367
201422#1,260
201320#1,347
201214#1,765
20117#2,736
20109#2,306
20096#2,970
20080–
20078#2,337
20065#3,013
200510#1,814
20049#1,831
20037#2,054
20025#2,358
20019#1,547
20008#1,637
19994#2,513
19983#3,021
19979#1,412
19965#2,094

How popular is Luther in the US?

Rank in 2025
#1,459among boys
Babies in 2025
122about 1 in 14,000 boys
Five-year trend
Steadyup 2% in five years
Same name in a class
under 1%chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 122 boys in the US were named Luther, making it the 1,459th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,503rd. Its busiest year was 1922, with 1,477 boys.

It has been given to more boys each year for the last 3 years.

Half of all the boys named Luther in the US since 1880 were born between 1919 and 1952, the years shaded on the chart below.

1880Busiest: 1,477 in 19222025
Luther in the US, year by year
YearBoysRank
2025122#1,459
2024119#1,503
2023118#1,501
2022112#1,574
2021132#1,383
2020112#1,503
2019128#1,386
2018113#1,513
201799#1,612
201699#1,618
201599#1,613
2014101#1,564
201387#1,694
201280#1,831
201179#1,811
201073#1,923
200979#1,851
200885#1,760
200785#1,741
200691#1,596
200599#1,470
200470#1,782
200381#1,558
200287#1,456
200190#1,386
2000103#1,264
199988#1,353
1998107#1,167
1997101#1,179
1996102#1,153
1995105#1,104
1994126#984
1993147#878
1992136#903
1991145#870
1990176#762
1989190#712
1988173#711
1987155#732
1986185#659
1985172#678
1984181#638
1983213#578
1982228#567
1981231#562
1980206#608
1979237#558
1978220#565
1977234#543
1976244#513
1975236#524
1974242#509
1973248#497
1972293#458
1971316#457
1970345#440
1969335#432
1968319#430
1967285#447
1966364#394
1965395#394
1964449#369
1963443#379
1962460#376
1961491#359
1960528#338
1959522#339
1958523#336
1957584#316
1956612#301
1955696#269
1954670#273
1953687#266
1952741#251
1951683#256
1950761#237
1949745#237
1948831#225
1947826#222
1946810#211
1945708#203
1944853#185
1943843#190
1942858#185
1941843#179
1940824#177
1939765#184
1938827#175
1937864#169
1936804#171
1935832#169
1934862#167
1933878#162
1932961#157
1931958#156
19301,109#148
19291,120#145
19281,153#145
19271,258#139
19261,295#135
19251,333#132
19241,396#127
19231,333#126
19221,477#118
19211,453#123
19201,379#123
19191,378#117
19181,416#118
19171,304#116
19161,287#116
19151,198#115
1914991#114
1913747#116
1912664#114
1911394#100
1910383#87
1909347#86
1908292#91
1907280#91
1906262#89
1905308#79
1904286#82
1903265#80
1902266#81
1901244#79
1900316#82
1899248#81
1898275#76
1897271#71
1896265#74
1895269#73
1894285#71
1893271#70
1892295#70
1891236#71
1890253#71
1889270#71
1888275#74
1887267#63
1886253#71
1885259#70
1884273#69
1883229#69
1882284#64
1881249#65
1880260#64

Names like Luther

Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.

Louie Chester Albert Arthur Archie Otis Rupert Frederick Henry Walter Otto Leonard

More Germanic names

Amelia Liam Charlotte William Charlie Emma Freddie Ella Harry Millie Albie Matilda Miles Alice Myles Charles

Every Germanic name

Sources

Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.

To cite this page: Nameling, “Luther: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/luther, updated 20 October 2026.