Boy · #3,800 in 2026

Art

Art is a Celtic masculine given name, meaning "bear", thus figuratively "champion".

  • English
Current Rank
#3,800
Peak Rank
#416 (1961)
Total Babies
6K
5-Yr Trend
+10%
1918
First Year
1918
Last Year
1918
Peak Year
#4809
Peak Rank
5
Total Count
1
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Art

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Art is a Celtic masculine given name, meaning "bear", thus figuratively "champion".

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • English
Origin & history
Art meant the ‘ bear ’ in Celtic languages . The name derives from Proto-Celtic *artos (“bear”) (compare Cornish arth, Welsh arth, Breton arzh), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ŕ̥tḱos (“bear”). With bears the local apex predator , Art figuratively referred to a 'champion', and two legendary High Kings of Ireland had the name, Art mac Cuinn and Art mac Lugdach . The name Arthur is frequently shortened to Art , but its etymological link to Art is debated. The names Stewart or Stuart can also be shortened to Art , but this is less common.

The Story of Art

American parents first put Art on the record books as a baby boy name in 1880, with 12 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1961, when 190 Arts were born — ranking #571 that year. As of 2026, Art ranks #3,800 for baby boys with 29 births, gradually rising (+10%). All told, over 6K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Variants & Related Forms of Art

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Art. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Names that sound like Art

Phonetically similar names — useful when Art is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

  • Aart
  • Artt
  • Artw
  • Ard
  • Ort
  • Oart
  • Arde
  • Aard
  • Ohrt
  • Airt
  • Yrt
  • Oort

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Art

What does the name Art mean?
Art is a Celtic masculine given name, meaning "bear", thus figuratively "champion".
What is the origin of the name Art?
Art has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: English.
How popular is Art in 2026?
In 2026, Art ranks #3,800 among boys' names in the U.S., with 29 babies given the name that year.
When was Art most popular?
Art reached its peak popularity in 1961, ranking #416 that year with 190 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Art most popular?
Art has historically been most popular in Iowa, Montana, Oregon. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Art.
Is Art a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Art is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Art?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Art include Sid, Geo, Bishop. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.
What are nicknames or variants of Art?
Common variants and related forms of Art include Arthur, Artie. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

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About the name Art

Art is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 6K births in the dataset. Art's peak popularity came in 1961 when it ranked #416. Use the chart and map above to compare Art's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.