Curtis
Curtis or Curtiss is a common English given name and surname of Anglo-Norman origin, deriving from the Old French curteis which was in turn derived from Latin cohors. Nicknames include Curt, Curty and Curtie.
Meaning & Origin of Curtis
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Curtis or Curtiss is a common English given name and surname of Anglo-Norman origin, deriving from the Old French curteis which was in turn derived from Latin cohors. Nicknames include Curt, Curty and Curtie.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Curtis
Curtis first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 68 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1962, when 5,570 Curtiss were born — ranking #73 that year. As of 2026, Curtis ranks #1,015 for baby boys with 220 births, falling sharply (-35%). In total, more than 261K Curtiss have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Curtis
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Adam Curtis (born 1955), English television documentarian
- Alan Curtis (disambiguation)
- Alexander Curtis (disambiguation)
- Alice B. Curtis (1874–1956), American suffragist, writer
- Alice Turner Curtis (1860–1958), American writer
- Alison Curtis (born 1977), Canadian Irish radio presenter
- Allen Curtis (1877–1961), American film director
- Andrew Curtis (cricketer) (born 1943), English cricketer
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Curtis
Phonetically similar names — useful when Curtis is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Curtis
What does the name Curtis mean?
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About the name Curtis
Curtis is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 261K births in the dataset. Curtis's peak popularity came in 1962 when it ranked #72. Use the chart and map above to compare Curtis's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1962 →
- Names of the 1960s →
- Names starting with "C" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.