Curtis

A surname with a courteous meaning

Curtis comes from an English surname meaning “courteous” or “polite,” with its vocabulary roots in Old French. It belongs to the group of given names that developed from family names, carrying an older descriptive word into a modern first-name setting.

Pronunciation and related spellings

English speakers normally pronounce Curtis KUR-tiss, with the stress on the first syllable. The second syllable has the short i sound heard in this. Kurtis is a related spelling, and Curt is an established short form that reduces the name to one syllable.

Curtis Mayfield and soul music

Singer, songwriter, and guitarist Curtis Mayfield gives the name a major musical association. His work with the Impressions and as a solo performer joined soul music with social observation. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame recognized that career with his solo induction in 1999, in addition to his connection with the inducted group.

Mayfield's solo recordings include Curtis, released in 1970, Roots in 1971, and the Super Fly soundtrack in 1972. The soundtrack brought his writing into a film setting, becoming one of the most recognizable records associated with his name. His work combines close attention to the world around him with the rhythmic and vocal qualities of soul and funk.

With the Impressions, Mayfield wrote People Get Ready, released in 1965. The recording drew on the group’s gospel background, with imagery of faith and a message of hope. It entered the National Recording Registry in 2015. The Impressions’ best-known trio brought Mayfield together with Sam Gooden and Fred Cash, whose voices helped establish the group’s sound before his later solo records.

Curtis Brown and the space shuttle

Astronaut Curtis L. Brown provides a very different public bearer. His six shuttle flights included commanding Discovery on STS-95 in 1998, the mission that returned John Glenn to space. Brown had already flown as both a shuttle pilot and a commander before that widely watched journey.

He commanded Discovery again on STS-103 in December 1999, when the crew serviced the Hubble Space Telescope. The two missions connect Curtis with human spaceflight, scientific research, and the practical work of operating a spacecraft around an orbiting telescope.

Popularity in the United States

Curtis's largest American annual count for boys came in 1962, with 5,569 births. Its best rank followed in 1963 at number 72. It later declined from number 528 in 2015 to number 703 in 2020 and number 985 in 2025. The 2025 count was 232 boys. Its strongest American popularity belongs to the mid-twentieth century, alongside a much longer history as a family name.

How popular is Curtis?

In 2025, Curtis ranked #985 among boys in the United States, with 232 recorded uses. The U.S. birth records first list this spelling for boys in 1880; its largest annual count was 5,569 in 1962. Rankings count each spelling separately. They describe national use, so local familiarity can differ. The popularity chart shows whether the name has remained common, returned after a quieter period, or risen recently.