Curtis means courteous or polite — from the Old French curteis. Curtis Mayfield IS one of soul music's most important — Superfly changed film soundtracks. 50 Cent (Curtis Jackson) IS hip-hop's most successful. Curtis IS the word for maximum courtesy. Two syllables of Mayfield-Superfly, 50-Cent-most-successful, and the French word for polite.
Curtis means courteous. Mayfield IS soul's most important — Superfly. 50 Cent (Curtis Jackson) IS hip-hop's most successful.
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First recorded
Earliest known use: Old French; Curtis Mayfield (1942–1999); 50 Cent (born 1975).
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Today
Curtis remains a beloved choice, ranking #712 in the US. 262,636 babies have been named Curtis since 1880.
◈ Sources: Behind the Name, SSA data
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How popular is Curtis?
1962peak year
Curtis appears in U.S. registration data going all the way back to 1880, when records begin. Its popularity climbed over the following decades. In 1962, 5,570 babies were named Curtis (ranked #73 nationally). Today it sits around #712, with roughly 380 babies named Curtis each year. Curtis has been declining in recent years. In total, around 262,636 babies have been registered with this name since 1880.
Year-by-year registrations1880–2024 · U.S. Social Security data
Curtis's Life Path 5 is the adventurer's number — courteous adventure. People named Curtis tend to be smooth, refined, and gifted at being soul's most important AND hip-hop's most successful.
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