Luverne
A unisex name with an Old German origin meaning "passionate friend".
Name Census estimates that about 226 living Americans carry the first name Luverne. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 55.7% of registrations being male. The average person named Luverne today is around 85 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Luverne births was 1924 (100 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Luverne. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Luverne sits in rare territory as a truly gender-neutral name, given to boys and girls in near-equal numbers.
- • The typical person named Luverne is about 85 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Luvernes were born before 1951.
People living today
226
~ 1 in 1,516,612 Americans
Peak year
1924
100 babies that year
Average age
85
years old
1956 SSA rank
#3,785
Tracked since 1907
Gender
Gender distribution for Luverne
Luverne is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 1,913 total registrations, 1,066 (55.7%) were male and 847 (44.3%) were female.
Luverne as a male name
- Ranked #3,785 in 1956
- 6 male births in 1956
- Peak: 1924 (65 births)
Luverne as a female name
- Ranked #5,961 in 1959
- 6 female births in 1959
- Peak: 1918 (53 births)
Popularity
Luverne: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Luverne from the 1900s through to the 1950s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 790 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Luverne by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Luverne during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Luvernes live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. Minnesota, Iowa, South Dakota recorded the most babies named Luverne, while Wisconsin, North Dakota, Alabama recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 189 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Luverne
The name Luverne has its origins in the French language and culture, with roots dating back to the 18th century. It is derived from the French words "lu" meaning "wolf" and "verne" meaning "alder tree," suggesting a connection to nature and the wilderness.
The earliest recorded use of the name Luverne can be traced back to France in the late 1700s. It initially gained popularity among the French aristocracy and upper classes before eventually spreading to other parts of Europe and eventually making its way to the United States.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the name Luverne was Luverne de Montclair, a French aristocrat and writer who lived from 1785 to 1842. His writings documented the social and political changes taking place in France during the turbulent times of the French Revolution.
In the 19th century, the name Luverne became more widely used, particularly in the United States. One of the most famous individuals with this name was Luverne Harnett (1832-1911), a prominent American artist known for her intricate still-life paintings and attention to detail.
Another notable Luverne was Luverne Putnam (1875-1952), an American educator and advocate for women's education. She served as the president of Wellesley College from 1925 to 1941 and played a significant role in shaping the institution's curriculum and educational philosophy.
In the 20th century, the name Luverne continued to be used, albeit less frequently. One individual who carried this name was Luverne Simmons (1920-2003), an American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Simmons Mattress Company and made significant contributions to various charitable organizations.
Lastly, Luverne Gustavson (1915-2011) was a notable American baseball player and coach. He played for the New York Yankees in the 1930s and later served as a coach and manager for several teams, including the Chicago Cubs and the San Francisco Giants.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have carried the name Luverne, a name with a rich cultural heritage and connections to nature, reflecting the diverse tapestry of human experience and accomplishment.
People
Luverne + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Luverne as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with L
Other first names starting with L with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Luverne: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Luverne?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 226 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Luverne going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,516,612 US residents.
Is Luverne a common name?
We classify Luverne as "Very Rare". It ranks above 75.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,913 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Luverne most popular?
The single biggest year for Luverne was 1924, when 100 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Luverne is about 85 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Luverne a male name?
Yes, 55.7% of people registered as Luverne in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.