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

Lutheran, 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 Lutheran surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lutheran in America

Lutheran is the 86981st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lutheran surname appeared 214 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Lutheran.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lutheran 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 Lutheran

The surname Lutheran has its origins in Germany, with the earliest recorded examples dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the German word "Lutheraner," which was used to refer to followers of the Protestant Reformation led by Martin Luther.

Martin Luther, the renowned theologian and reformer, was born in 1483 in Eisleben, Germany. His teachings and actions sparked the Protestant Reformation, which challenged the practices and beliefs of the Catholic Church. As his ideas spread, his followers became known as Lutherans, and some adopted this term as their surname.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name Lutheran began to appear in various records and documents across German-speaking regions. One notable example is Johann Lutheran, a German theologian and writer who lived from 1573 to 1625. He was a staunch supporter of Luther's teachings and played a significant role in the dissemination of Lutheran doctrines.

Another early figure associated with the name was Philipp Lutheran, a German philosopher and theologian who lived from 1588 to 1657. He was a prominent Lutheran scholar and authored several works on theology and philosophy, contributing to the intellectual discourse of the time.

As the Lutheran faith spread across Europe, the surname began to take root in other regions as well. One notable example is Philip Melanchthon, a German theologian and reformer who lived from 1497 to 1560. Although his original surname was Schwarzerd, he adopted the Greek translation of his name, Melanchthon, which means "black earth." He was a close collaborator of Martin Luther and played a crucial role in shaping the Lutheran Reformation.

In later centuries, the surname Lutheran continued to appear in various historical records and documents. One notable figure was Johann Friedrich Ludwig Christian Lutheran, a German philosopher and writer who lived from 1770 to 1843. He was known for his contributions to the fields of philosophy and literature, and his works were widely read and discussed during his lifetime.

While the surname Lutheran is not as common today as it once was, it remains a testament to the profound impact of the Protestant Reformation and the enduring legacy of Martin Luther's teachings. The name serves as a reminder of the significant historical events and figures that shaped the religious and cultural landscape of Europe and beyond.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lutheran

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

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 Lutheran 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 Lutheran 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 Lutheran was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!