Luther
A surname most likely tied either to the old Germanic personal name Lothair/Lothar or, in some English cases, to Lowther.
The #2,589 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 22,202 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname is usually treated as a form of the old Germanic personal name Lothar or Lothaire, a name built from elements meaning something like “people” and “army” or “famous warrior,” though 19th-century writers sometimes gave competing explanations. In English usage, some scholars also thought Luther could be a spelling or sound variant of Lowther. Because of that overlap, the surname may have more than one origin depending on the family line.
History
The name is best known through Martin Luther, which made it widely recognizable across Europe. English surname writers in the 19th century debated whether English Luther families came from the continental personal name or from the northern English place/family name Lowther. The documentary record shows the surname in medieval England, but the exact origin can differ by branch.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Martin Luther made the surname famous far beyond its original regional use.
From the historical record
“LUDWIG (Ger.) see under Lewie in Diet. LUTHER (Ger.) see Luther in Diet. MAAS. Dweller by the R. Maas, the Fr. Meuse, anc. Mosa [prob. a compound name of which the second elem. = the Fr. Oise ; f. the Gaul. cogn. of O.Ir. u{i)sce, Mod. Ir. and Gael, uisge, Wei. wysg, water, a stream : the first elem. may represent…”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)