2000
#8,107
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,768
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.40
Rare Last name
Lutes
A surname derived from the Middle English word "lute," referring to a person who played or made lutes.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,866 Americans carry the last name Lutes. That puts it at #9,265 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 88,659 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lutes surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
3.9K
1 in 88,659
Census rank
#9,265
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,371 bearers of the surname Lutes in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9265th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lutes, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lutes
The surname LUTES is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated as an occupational name, derived from the Old English word "lutere," which referred to a player of the lute, a stringed musical instrument resembling a guitar.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, dating back to 1273, where it appears as "William le Lutour." This suggests that the name was initially used as a descriptive term for someone who played the lute.
In the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, the name is recorded as "Johannes le Lutur," further reinforcing its connection with the occupation of a lute player.
The surname LUTES may have also been influenced by the Old French word "lut," which had a similar meaning, suggesting that the name could have been introduced to England by Norman settlers after the Conquest of 1066.
During the 16th century, the name took on various spellings, such as "Lute," "Luter," and "Luyter," reflecting the evolving nature of surnames and the lack of standardized spelling at the time.
One notable historical figure bearing this surname was John Lutes (c. 1598-1661), an English composer and musician who served as a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal under King Charles I.
Another early record of the name can be found in the Parish Registers of St. Mary's Church in Beverley, Yorkshire, where a certain William Lutes was christened in 1612.
In the 17th century, the name appears in the records of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, with Edward Lutes being listed as one of the early settlers in 1637.
Among other notable individuals with the surname LUTES are:
1. Sir John Lutes (1595-1661), an English composer and musician during the Renaissance era.
2. David Lutes (1909-1988), an American football player and coach.
3. William Lutes (1836-1899), a Union Army soldier during the American Civil War.
4. Mary Lutes (1904-1988), an American novelist and short story writer.
5. John Lutes (1932-2012), an American businessman and philanthropist.
While the surname LUTES may have evolved over time, its origins can be traced back to the medieval period, reflecting the rich tapestry of English history and the cultural influence of music and occupational names.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lutes
Among Census respondents with the surname Lutes, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Lutes bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Lutes surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.1% · 3,138
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 101
- Two or more races2.7% · 92
- Black or African American0.5% · 17
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lutes
Lutes appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#8,862
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,695
-73 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 1.25
Rank movement Down 755 places
2020
#9,265
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,371
-324 bearers (-8.8%)
Per 100,000 1.13
Rank movement Down 403 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,107 | 3,768 | 1.40 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,862 | 3,695 | 1.25 | -73 bearers (-1.9%) | Down 755 places |
| 2020 | #9,265 | 3,371 | 1.13 | -324 bearers (-8.8%) | Down 403 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Lutes surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #8,862 | #9,265 | -4.5% |
| Count | 3,695 | 3,371 | -8.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.25 | 1.13 | -9.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lutes bearers went from 3,695 to 3,371 (-8.8% change). The surname moved down 403 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,862 to #9,265.
FAQ
Lutes surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lutes?
Name Census estimates that about 3,866 living Americans carry the surname Lutes. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 88,659 residents.
How common is Lutes?
Lutes ranks #9,265 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.13 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,371 people with the surname Lutes. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,866), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.13 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Lutes.
Has Lutes become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lutes went from 3,695 recorded bearers to 3,371. That is a decrease of 324 (-8.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,862 to #9,265.
What does the Census say about the background of Lutes?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lutes, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Lutes in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.1% (3,138 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lutes appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.1%), Hispanic (3.0%), Two or More Races (2.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Lutes (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Lutes mean?
A surname derived from the Middle English word "lute," referring to a person who played or made lutes. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Lutes (1.13 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Lutes?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Lutes on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.