Curtis
Curtis was the 985th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 232 babies. Its best year was 1963, when it ranked 72nd; the most babies were born in 1962 (5,569). Over the last ten years it has moved down 457 places. More babies were named Curtis in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Meaning courteous · English, Old French
Say it KUR-tis /ˈkɝtɪs/
- Rank in 2025
- #985 boys, down 282 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 232boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19625,569 babies
- Total since 1880
- 262,876babies recorded
What does the name Curtis mean?
Curtis is an English surname from Old French corteis, curteis 'courteous, polite', originally a nickname for a refined or courtly person, as Wiktionary notes; it is a doublet of the word courteous. As a first name it is a surname transfer that became common in the US in the mid-20th century. Curtis Mayfield and the rapper 50 Cent (Curtis Jackson) are well-known bearers.
curteis (Old French, “courteous, polite”)
How sure is this? Well established.
See also: French names, virtue names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Curtis', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Wiktionary, entry 'courteous' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (our computation), SSA (public domain)
Nicknames for Curtis
The usual nicknames for Curtis are Curt.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Curt | Traditional | — | 36 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Curtiss go by each one.
Curtis popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 2,322 since 1894.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #985 | 232 |
| 2020 | #703 | 361 |
| 2010 | #424 | 652 |
| 2000 | #265 | 1,240 |
| 1990 | #121 | 2,800 |
| 1980 | #89 | 3,332 |
| 1970 | #88 | 3,615 |
| 1960 | #79 | 5,363 |
| 1950 | #97 | 3,209 |
| 1940 | #97 | 2,103 |
| 1930 | #106 | 1,721 |
| 1920 | #120 | 1,443 |
| 1910 | #114 | 277 |
| 1900 | #147 | 144 |
| 1890 | #164 | 86 |
| 1880 | #186 | 68 |
How popular is Curtis, counting every spelling?
Curtis is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #832 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #985 for Curtis on its own. Together these spellings went to 279 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Curtis | 232 | #985 | 1,357 |
| Kurtis | 47 | #2,738 | 215 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Curtis?
232 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Curtis (0.06 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Curtis born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 36 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Curtis.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Curtis?
About 171,500 people born in the US named Curtis are alive today, with a median age of 55; half are between 39 and 67. That makes Curtis mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Curtis by state
How common Curtis was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Oklahoma (2.6×), Alabama (1.9×), Ohio (1.7×), Virginia (1.6×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Massachusetts, New Jersey, Utah.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Curtis: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Curtis, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Curtis · Sibling names for Curtis
Questions about the name Curtis
What does Curtis mean?
Curtis means “courteous” (English, Old French origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Curtis?
Curtis was the 985th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 232 babies. Its best year was 1963, when it ranked 72nd; the most babies were born in 1962 (5,569). Over the last ten years it has moved down 457 places. More babies were named Curtis in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Is Curtis a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Curtis in the US.
Where is Curtis most popular?
In 2021–2025, Curtis was most common in Oklahoma (0.41 per 1,000 boys), followed by Alabama and Mississippi.