UK boy's name
Luther
A masculine given name of Germanic origin meaning "army people".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Luther is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Luther popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1595, with 16 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2016, with 25 births.
This profile covers 357 England and Wales registrations across 28 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 64% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 355 living people in the UK are called Luther. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Luther ranked #1595 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 16 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2016, when 25 boys were registered as Luther.
- • About 355 living people in the UK are estimated to have Luther as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#1595
2024
Births in 2024
16
Latest year
Peak year
2016
25 births
Estimated living
355
2026
Meaning
What does Luther mean?
The name Luther is derived from the German word "lud", which means "people". It originated as a Germanic name in the Middle Ages, likely being used as early as the 5th century AD. The name may also have roots in the Old Norse word "lyðr", meaning "people" or "nation".
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Luther is found in the writings of the medieval historian Gregory of Tours, who mentions a Bishop Luther in the 6th century AD. In the 9th century, a monk named Luther is recorded as living in the Benedictine abbey of Fulda in present-day Germany.
The name gained widespread recognition and popularity in the 16th century due to the Protestant Reformer Martin Luther (1483-1546). Luther was a German monk who initiated the Protestant Reformation and translated the Bible into German, making it accessible to the common people.
Another notable figure with the name Luther was the American abolitionist and writer Luther Stearns Sampson (1857-1924), who was active in the anti-slavery movement and worked to improve educational opportunities for African Americans.
In the world of literature, Luther Blissett was the pseudonym used by a collective of writers and artists in the 1990s, known for their experimental works and critique of modern society.
Luther Vandross (1951-2005) was an American singer-songwriter and record producer, known for his smooth vocal style and romantic ballads. He was a hugely successful artist and won eight Grammy Awards during his career.
Luther Burbank (1849-1926) was an American botanist and horticulturist, best known for his work in developing new varieties of plants through selective breeding and hybridization techniques.
While the name Luther has its origins in Germanic languages, it has been adopted and used in various cultures around the world, particularly among Christians influenced by the Protestant Reformation and the teachings of Martin Luther.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Luther over time
The chart below shows babies named Luther registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Luther, the clearest high point is 2016. The latest England and Wales figure is 16 births in 2024, compared with 25 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Luther by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Luther was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #1279 | 106 | 5 |
| 2010s | #1597 | 165 | 10 |
| 2000s | #2124 | 65 | 9 |
| 1990s | #2173 | 21 | 4 |
Related
Names similar to Luther
- Luke 72,247
- Lewis 69,555
- Leo 63,249
- Liam 60,482
- Lucas 49,061
- Logan 40,771
- Louis 35,898
- Luca 30,323
- Louie 24,242
- Leon 22,308
- Levi 9,931
- Lee 7,861
FAQ
Luther: questions and answers
How popular is the name Luther in the UK right now?
In 2024, Luther was ranked #1595 for boys in England and Wales, with 16 births registered.
When was Luther most popular?
The peak year on record was 2016, with 25 babies registered as Luther in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Luther?
A masculine given name of Germanic origin meaning "army people".
How many people are called Luther in the UK?
A total of 357 babies have been registered as Luther across the 28 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.