Curtis: Meaning, origin and popularity

Pronounced KER-tis · 2 syllables

Curtis means “polite, courteous”, from French.

From Old French corteis and curteis (Modern French courtois (“polite, courteous”). Doublet of courteous.

How popular is Curtis?

Curtis was the #984 name in the US in 2025, given to 232 babies. It’s used less than it was: down 54% on 2011–2015. It peaked around 1960.

Babies named Curtis in the US by five-year period, relative to its peak (around 1960).

Half of US adults named Curtis are older than 56; most are between 26 and 80. (Estimated from US births by year and life tables.)

Names that real brothers and sisters of people named Curtis have, from family records on Wikidata, most common first.

Chosen by the same families or with a similar style and era.

Curtis means “polite, courteous”. It comes from French.

Curtis is pronounced KER-tis.

Curtis was the #984 name in the US in 2025, given to 232 babies. It’s used less than it was: down 54% on 2011–2015. It peaked around 1960.

Half of US adults named Curtis are older than 56. Most are between 26 and 80.