10. His Parents Changed Their Surname Out Of Shame
In pre-crisis continuity, Lex Luthor grew up in a loving family in Smallville. His parents - Jules and Arlene - were decent people who, initially, doted on their son like any loving mother and father would. But then the future Superman villain's life took a turn for the worse. Luthor turned to a life of crime and, ashamed by what their son had become, Jules and Arlene told him they didn't want anything more to do with him, disowned him, moved away from Smallville and changed their surname to that of an anagram of their real surname - "Thorul". It's probably fair to say that this act contributed to him becoming an even bigger criminal - a super-criminal, so to speak - and, ultimately, becoming the scourge of the Man of Steel.
