Find out how popular the last name Lute is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Lute.

Lute, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Lute surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lute in America

Lute is the 16219th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lute surname appeared 1,780 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Lute.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lute to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Lute

The surname LUTE is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "lute" meaning a lute, which was a stringed musical instrument similar to a guitar. The name likely originated as an occupational name for someone who played or made lutes.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname dates back to the late 12th century in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire, where a Walter le Lutour was mentioned in 1195. This early spelling variation highlights the occupational nature of the name.

In the 13th century, the surname appeared in various forms such as le Lutere, le Lutor, and le Luter in various counties across England, including Oxfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Yorkshire.

One notable early bearer of the surname was John Lute, a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of London, recorded in the Rolls of Parliament in the late 14th century.

The surname LUTE has also been associated with several place names in England, such as Lutterworthtown in Leicestershire, which was recorded as Luteresworthe in the Domesday Book of 1086, further suggesting the occupational origin of the name.

Among the notable individuals with the surname LUTE throughout history are:

1. John Lute (c. 1370 - c. 1440), an English merchant and alderman in London.
2. William Lute (c. 1550 - 1612), an English composer and lutenist during the Renaissance period.
3. Nathaniel Lute (1619 - 1672), an English Puritan minister and author active in Massachusetts during the colonial era.
4. Thomas Lute (1660 - 1728), an English architect and surveyor known for his work on churches in London.
5. Elizabeth Lute (1732 - 1798), a British botanist and naturalist who contributed significantly to the study of plant life in the 18th century.

While the surname LUTE is relatively uncommon today, its origins can be traced back to medieval England, rooted in the occupational term for those involved in the craft of making and playing the lute.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lute

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Lute.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Lute was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Lute has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Lute was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Lute, please contact us.

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