Luther

Did you know?

A few things about Luther you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Luther

Luther Vandross

American R&B singer (1951–2005)

Choose Luther and your child shares a first name with Luther Vandross, an American R&B singer. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Luther, like who?” Luther Vandross's Wikipedia article is available in 40 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Luther Vandross on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Unknown, Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 14,006 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Luther, 122 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Luther would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryLuther has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Luthers, and counting.
• 🏆Best yearIt was far more popular in 1887, when it ranked #63. Today it's #1,459, so it could be due a comeback.
• 🚀TrendLuther has climbed 44 places in the US rankings over the last five years and now sits at #1,459. Fast risers like this often keep climbing, so expect to hear it more.
• 📍Where it's lovedLuther is most popular in Oklahoma, where it ranks #552, followed by Minnesota (#586) and Missouri (#789). It's in the top 1,000 in 5 states.
• 💬MeaningIn Germanic, Luther means “army of the people”. Our records link it to German and Old German roots.

About the name Luther

Luther is a boy name of German and Old German origin meaning “army of the people”. It has 6 letters and 2 syllables, starting with L and ending in “-her”. US birth records list Luther for boys from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1887, when it ranked #63 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #1,459, with 122 babies.

Origin:German namesOld German names