Luther
Boy name · #1459 in 2025 · Very rare
In 2025, 122 baby boys were named Luther, placing it at #1459 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #1613, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 14,754 boys born in 2025 was named Luther.
Babies named Luther per year. Source: SSA.
The 145-year story
Luther first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 260 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1922, when 1,477 boys were named Luther — good for #118 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Luther against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Luther in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Luther is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Luther will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Luther is most common
State-level data for Luther is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Luther
Statistically, parents drawn to Luther tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Lester, Chester, Elmer, Sylvester, and Lloyd.
LesterChesterElmerSylvesterLloydMiltonVirgilLemuel
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Luther | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 122 | #1459 |
| 2024 | 119 | #1503 |
| 2023 | 118 | #1501 |
| 2022 | 112 | #1574 |
| 2021 | 132 | #1383 |
| 2020 | 112 | #1503 |
| 2019 | 128 | #1386 |
| 2018 | 113 | #1513 |
| 2017 | 99 | #1612 |
| 2016 | 99 | #1618 |
| 2015 | 99 | #1613 |
| 2014 | 101 | #1564 |
| 2013 | 87 | #1695 |
| 2012 | 80 | #1832 |
| 2011 | 79 | #1812 |
| 2010 | 73 | #1924 |
| 2009 | 79 | #1852 |
| 2008 | 85 | #1760 |
| 2007 | 85 | #1741 |
| 2006 | 91 | #1596 |
| 2005 | 99 | #1471 |
| 2004 | 70 | #1785 |
| 2003 | 81 | #1561 |
| 2002 | 87 | #1459 |
| 2001 | 90 | #1390 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Luther a popular boy name?
Luther ranked #1459 among boys in 2025 with 122 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1613.
When was the name Luther most popular?
Luther peaked in 1922, when 1,477 American boys received the name (ranked #118 that year). Since 1922 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Luther?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 14,754 newborn American boys was named Luther. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.