Lutes
A surname with several possible origins, most likely from a medieval nickname or an older personal name.
The #8,862 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 83,558 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Lutes is not one of the surnames with a single clear, universally accepted derivation. It may be a reduced or altered form of an older personal name or nickname, possibly influenced by similar-sounding medieval forms in English and continental European languages. In some cases, surnames of this shape can also reflect spelling variation from names based on the Latin or Old French root for "Lud-" names, though the exact pathway is uncertain here.
History
The surname appears in English-speaking records in variant spellings and may have been stabilized only relatively late, as happened with many less common surnames. In the United States it is uncommon but established, with bearers likely descending from a small number of immigrant or colonial lines. Because the name is sparse and forms overlap with other surnames, its precise local history can vary from family to family.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because Lutes is uncommon and orthographically flexible, two families with the same spelling may not share the same original surname history.