Luther History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

Etymology of Luther

What does the name Luther mean?

In mediaeval German "lud" meant "fame" and "liut" or "Leute" meant "people" or "folk;" while "her," meant "army." Thus "liut-her" meant "person in the army," while "lud-her" would be a "famous soldier."

Early Origins of the Luther family

The surname Luther was first found in Saxony, where the name emerged in mediaeval times as one of the notable families of the region. In northern Germany the name Lueder was more popular, while in southern Germany the root was Liut-her or Leuther, and in Thuringia "Luther" (Martin Luther's father wrote his name "Luder"). In mediaeval German "lud" meant "fame" and "liut" meant "Leute" ("people" or "folk," thus "liut-her" would be "Lord of the people",) and these are the two possible sources for the name. From the 13th century the surname was identified with the great social and economic evolution which made this territory a landmark contributor to the development of the nation.

Early History of the Luther family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Luther research. Another 149 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1415, 1456, 1472, 1483, 1546, 1636, 1685, 1716, 1787 and 1806 are included under the topic Early Luther History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Luther Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Luther, Lutter, Luter, Lueder, Lueders, Leuther, Luethi (Switzerland), Leuthiold, Luethold, Lutte and many more.

Early Notables of the Luther family

Martin Luther (1483-1546), who was the dominating personality of the Reformation, and one of the greatest religious reformers the world has known. His greatest literary monument amongst the immense bu...

Luther Ranking

the United States, the name Luther is the 2,438^th most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. 1

Luther migration to Canada +

Luther Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Seth Luther, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1760

Luther migration to the United States +

Luther Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Grace Luther, who landed in Maryland in 1670 2
Samuel Luther, who arrived in New England in 1685 2
John Luther, who arrived in Virginia in 1698 2

Luther Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Caspar Luther, who landed in New York in 1709-1710 2
John Luther, who landed in Virginia in 1713 2
Caspar Luther, who settled in America in 1720
Heinrich Luther, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1749 2
Christian Luther, who settled in Philadelphia in 1751
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Luther Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Friedr Luther, who arrived in North America in 1832-1849 2
Engelbert Luther, who landed in Texas in 1846 aboard the ship "Talisman" 2
Elisabeth Luther, aged 24, who arrived in New York, NY in 1847 2
Henry Luther, aged 19, who landed in New York, NY in 1847 2
Peter Luther, aged 23, who landed in New York, NY in 1847 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Luther (post 1700) +

Peter Luther (1939-2024), German equestrian and Olympic medalist
Karl Theodor Robert Luther (1822-1900), German astronomer who discovered 24 asteroids, eponym of the Luther lunar crater and the asteroid 1303 Luthera
Hans Luther (1879-1962), German statesman, who gained the reputation of being the best local administrative official in the west of Germany for his work in the Ruhr district. Later he was Minister of Finance, and played a crucial role in stabilizing the economy after World War I. In 1925, he became Chancellor of the German Reich
Thomas Luther (b. 1969), German Grandmaster of Chess
Calvin Charles Luther (1927-2021), American men's college head basketball coach at DePauw, Murray State, Longwood, UT Martin, and Bethel College
Narendra Luther (1932-2021), Indian writer, civil servant, author and columnist
Charles Luther (1885-1962), born Karl August Luther, a Swedish silver medalist in the 4 x 100 metre relay at the 1912 Summer Olympics
Bobbi Sue Luther (b. 1978), American model, actress, film producer and host of TLC's Junkyard Mega Wars
William Paul "Bill" Luther (b. 1945), American politician, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Minnesota (1995-2003)
... (Another 21 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Sources +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)