Curtis
Boy name · English · French · Latin · Old French
Meaningcourteous · Old French
- US rank
- #984
- Syllables
- 2
- Peak
- #72 in 1963
232 babies were named Curtis in the US in 2025. It has dropped 282 places in five years.
Found on lists
Save adds it to your list. Vote moves it up the top voted names.
US births per million girls, 1894–2025
US births per million boys, 1880–2025
Most popular states (2025)
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Curtis you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
Famous Curtis
Curtis Jones
English association football player (born 2001)
Choose Curtis and your child shares a first name with Curtis Jones, an English association football player. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Curtis, like who?” Curtis Jones's Wikipedia article is available in 41 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.
Read about Curtis Jones on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Photo: Werner100359, CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons
- How commonAbout 1 in every 7,364 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Curtis, 232 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Curtis would very likely be the only one.
- HistoryCurtis has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Curtiss, and counting.
- Best yearIt was far more popular in 1963, when it ranked #72. Today it's #984, so it could be due a comeback.
- Then vs nowCurtis was 4.6× more common in 2000 than it is today. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 1,584 baby boys; in 2025, about 1 in 7,364.
- TrendCurtis has slipped 282 places over the last five years and now sits at #984. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
- Where it's lovedCurtis is most popular in Mississippi, where it ranks #370, followed by Idaho (#377) and Connecticut (#440). It's in the top 1,000 in 16 states.
- MeaningIn Old French, Curtis means “courteous”. Our records link it to English, French and Latin roots.
About the name Curtis
Curtis is a boy name of English, French and Latin origin meaning “courteous”. It has 6 letters and 2 syllables, starting with C and ending in “-tis”. US birth records list Curtis for boys from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1963, when it ranked #72 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #984, with 232 babies.
Origin:English namesFrench namesLatin namesOld French names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1890s | 13 | 74,442 girls |
| 1900s | 28 | 35,894 girls |
| 1910s | 25 | 40,016 girls |
| 1920s | 26 | 38,358 girls |
| 1930s | 24 | 42,052 girls |
| 1940s | 19 | 51,787 girls |
| 1950s | 17 | 59,347 girls |
| 1960s | 17 | 59,032 girls |
| 1970s | 15 | 65,574 girls |
| 1980s | 15 | 66,934 girls |
| 1990s | 2.4 | 409,836 girls |
| 2000s | 2.8 | 357,143 girls |
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 633 | 1,579 boys |
| 1890s | 811 | 1,233 boys |
| 1900s | 1,229 | 814 boys |
| 1910s | 1,348 | 742 boys |
| 1920s | 1,465 | 682 boys |
| 1930s | 1,704 | 587 boys |
| 1940s | 1,752 | 571 boys |
| 1950s | 2,278 | 439 boys |
| 1960s | 2,441 | 410 boys |
| 1970s | 1,737 | 576 boys |
| 1980s | 1,623 | 616 boys |
| 1990s | 980 | 1,020 boys |
| 2000s | 484 | 2,064 boys |
| 2010s | 282 | 3,541 boys |
| 2020s | 166 | 6,037 boys |
Other spellings of Curtis
More English boy names
- Boy name: Oliver · olive tree
- Boy name: Henry · ruler of the home
- Unisex name: James · supplanter
- Boy name: William · resolute protector
- Boy name: Benjamin · son of the right hand
- Boy name: Jack · God is gracious
- Unisex name: Hudson · son of Hudde
- Unisex name: Julian · of the Julius family
Questions about the name Curtis
What does the name Curtis mean?
Curtis means “courteous” in Old French.
What is the origin of the name Curtis?
Curtis has English, French, Latin, Old French roots in our records. Other English names include Oliver, Henry, James.
Is Curtis a boy or girl name?
Curtis is a boy name.
How popular is the name Curtis?
Curtis ranked #984 for US boys in 2025, given to 232 babies. Its best year was 1963 (#72).