Fun Facts About the Name Colt
- More than 27 thousand babies named Colt: U.S. records list 27,872 babies given the name Colt from 1880 through 2025. Even 11 girls received the name Colt - about 1 girl for every 2,533 boys.
What Does the Name Colt Mean?
Colt is an English word name meaning "young male horse." It comes directly from the ordinary English noun colt, a word recorded in Old English as colt with the same sense of a young horse, especially a young male. The noun belongs to the Germanic side of the language family, with related forms in Middle Dutch and other Germanic languages, though the deeper origin of the root is not settled. Colt is not a translation or shortening of a personal name from another language; it is the common word for a young horse put to use as a name. English also uses colt informally for a young or inexperienced person, but that figurative sense follows from the literal animal meaning and is not the source of the name.
Colt Name History & Origins
The word colt has been part of English since the Old English period, when it already referred to a young horse. From the Middle Ages onward it also served as an English surname, where it most likely began as a nickname for someone thought to resemble a colt or who handled horses, though surname origins of this kind are rarely provable in individual cases. As a given name, Colt belongs to the broad English category of word names taken from animals and the natural world.
In the United States the name is tied to horse culture and the imagery of the American West. A separate but powerful association comes from Samuel Colt, the American inventor whose revolver, patented in 1836, made "Colt" a household word for a firearm; his manufacturing company was incorporated in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1855. That commercial and frontier association reinforced the word's presence in American life, even though the name itself is far older than the gun.
Colt is used as a first name chiefly in the United States and became noticeably more common in the later 20th century, when short, outdoorsy word names were widely chosen. It should not be confused with the similar-looking Colton, an English surname name derived from place names built on Old English elements meaning "charcoal" and "settlement." The two names resemble each other in sound and spelling but do not share an origin.
How Popular is the Name Colt?
Colt recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2019. Its best rank was #210 in 2019.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | #10,994 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1983 | #9,262 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #285 | 1,188 | 0.0696% |
| 2024 | #276 | 1,224 | 0.0714% |
| 2023 | #264 | 1,302 | 0.0762% |
| 2022 | #240 | 1,461 | 0.0838% |
| 2021 | #221 | 1,736 | 0.0993% |
| 2020 | #221 | 1,686 | 0.0977% |
| 2019 | #210 | 1,833 | 0.1022% |
| 2018 | #236 | 1,628 | 0.0897% |
| 2017 | #270 | 1,333 | 0.0720% |
| 2016 | #337 | 1,033 | 0.0544% |
| 2015 | #337 | 1,018 | 0.0531% |
| 2014 | #339 | 979 | 0.0510% |
| 2013 | #333 | 974 | 0.0515% |
| 2012 | #331 | 958 | 0.0505% |
| 2011 | #327 | 954 | 0.0502% |
| 2010 | #332 | 944 | 0.0492% |
| 2009 | #369 | 821 | 0.0414% |
| 2008 | #532 | 502 | 0.0246% |
| 2007 | #593 | 428 | 0.0206% |
| 2006 | #910 | 212 | 0.0103% |
| 2005 | #938 | 186 | 0.0093% |
| 2004 | #1,103 | 143 | 0.0072% |
| 2003 | #1,008 | 157 | 0.0079% |
| 2002 | #849 | 195 | 0.0100% |
| 2001 | #847 | 190 | 0.0098% |
| 2000 | #816 | 197 | 0.0100% |
| 1999 | #792 | 194 | 0.0101% |
| 1998 | #760 | 210 | 0.0110% |
| 1997 | #673 | 242 | 0.0128% |
| 1996 | #670 | 246 | 0.0130% |
| 1995 | #693 | 236 | 0.0124% |
| 1994 | #653 | 254 | 0.0131% |
| 1993 | #669 | 236 | 0.0120% |
| 1992 | #690 | 225 | 0.0113% |
| 1991 | #716 | 201 | 0.0099% |
| 1990 | #768 | 174 | 0.0085% |
| 1989 | #767 | 167 | 0.0083% |
| 1988 | #675 | 195 | 0.0102% |
| 1987 | #557 | 266 | 0.0142% |
| 1986 | #592 | 224 | 0.0122% |
| 1985 | #530 | 270 | 0.0146% |
| 1984 | #517 | 273 | 0.0151% |
| 1983 | #443 | 351 | 0.0196% |
| 1982 | #460 | 344 | 0.0190% |
| 1981 | #2,428 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 1980 | #5,031 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1979 | #2,394 | 20 | 0.0012% |
| 1978 | #3,912 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1977 | #2,679 | 16 | 0.0010% |
| 1976 | #2,974 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 1975 | #2,659 | 15 | 0.0010% |
| 1974 | #2,379 | 17 | 0.0011% |
| 1973 | #2,743 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 1972 | #2,554 | 14 | 0.0009% |
| 1971 | #2,383 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1970 | #3,573 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1969 | #2,900 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1968 | #3,430 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1967 | #3,627 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1966 | #2,498 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1965 | #2,100 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1963 | #2,708 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1962 | #3,090 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1961 | #2,578 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 1959 | #3,081 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1958 | #2,673 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1957 | #3,296 | 7 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Colt Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are cheerful and friendly, but are apt to have an emotional life. You like to have several lines of effort going at once. You are a good talker and promoter and seldom worry over anything. At times, you can be impatient, and impulsive. You have the ability to bring an idea to completion. You can express yourself joyously and constructively. You might be psychic, but not know it. You are frank, methodical and believe in law, system and order.
You are seeking freedom, opportunities to enjoy life: to make love, to go places and to do things. You are very adventurous and willing to take risk to achieve your objectives. New ways and new experiences can't satisfy your restless nature. One adventure leads you to another. You are honest and fair, because you know that this is the only way to receive justice and honesty from other people. But your personal growth is vital for you, and it is difficult to be tied down by rules and obligations. Your restless spirit might best controlled by choosing the field of work that meet your demand for action and adventure.
✦ Colt's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Colt's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.