Fun Facts About the Name Kurt
- More than 86 thousand babies named Kurt: U.S. records list 86,060 babies given the name Kurt from 1880 through 2025. Even 196 girls received the name Kurt - about 1 girl for every 438 boys.
What Does the Name Kurt Mean?
Kurt is a German masculine name meaning "bold counsel." It is a short form of Konrad, which comes from the Old High German name Kuonrat. That name combines kuoni ("bold, brave") with rat ("counsel, advice"). The literal sense is a person of bold or brave counsel. The name is also used in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, where it is generally understood as the same German-derived name.
Separately, Kurt is a Turkish masculine name and surname meaning "wolf," from the Turkish word kurt. The Turkish name is not related to the German name, though both are spelled the same in English.
The similar English name Curt can come from Curtis, which is derived from Old French curteis ("courteous"), but that is a different origin from the German Kurt.
Kurt Name History & Origins
Kurt developed as a short form of Konrad in German-speaking Europe. Konrad was a common medieval name. Saint Conrad of Constance (died 975) was a bishop later venerated as a saint, and Conrad II (c. 990 - 1039) was crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 1027. Over time, the shortened form Kurt became an independent given name. It is also used in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.
In English, Kurt came into use through German and Scandinavian immigration. Bearers of the name include the German composer Kurt Weill (1900 - 1950), the Austrian-American logician Kurt Gödel (1906 - 1978), and the American writer Kurt Vonnegut (1922 - 2007).
The Turkish name Kurt has a separate history. It comes from the Turkish word kurt, "wolf," and is used as a masculine given name and surname in Turkey and among Turkic-speaking peoples. The wolf is a traditional symbol in Turkic cultures, but the name itself is the ordinary word for the animal.
How Popular is the Name Kurt?
Kurt recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 1964. Its best rank was #109 in 1964.
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 | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | #13,485 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1987 | #10,547 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1986 | #9,046 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1985 | #8,804 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1983 | #11,127 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1982 | #8,703 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1981 | #7,082 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1980 | #11,245 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1979 | #8,495 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1978 | #10,560 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1973 | #6,371 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1972 | #5,278 | 10 | 0.0007% |
| 1971 | #5,768 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1970 | #7,513 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1969 | #3,871 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1968 | #3,891 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 1967 | #5,744 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1966 | #5,532 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1965 | #3,839 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1964 | #4,497 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1963 | #4,707 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1962 | #6,212 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1960 | #4,966 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1959 | #5,907 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1958 | #4,709 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,271 | 62 | 0.0036% |
| 2024 | #2,103 | 71 | 0.0041% |
| 2023 | #2,402 | 57 | 0.0033% |
| 2022 | #1,927 | 81 | 0.0046% |
| 2021 | #2,050 | 72 | 0.0041% |
| 2020 | #1,683 | 94 | 0.0054% |
| 2019 | #1,667 | 97 | 0.0054% |
| 2018 | #1,731 | 90 | 0.0050% |
| 2017 | #1,701 | 93 | 0.0050% |
| 2016 | #1,427 | 122 | 0.0064% |
| 2015 | #1,424 | 121 | 0.0063% |
| 2014 | #1,451 | 113 | 0.0059% |
| 2013 | #1,320 | 131 | 0.0069% |
| 2012 | #1,493 | 108 | 0.0057% |
| 2011 | #1,473 | 111 | 0.0058% |
| 2010 | #1,468 | 112 | 0.0058% |
| 2009 | #1,305 | 134 | 0.0068% |
| 2008 | #1,257 | 139 | 0.0068% |
| 2007 | #1,141 | 157 | 0.0076% |
| 2006 | #1,013 | 182 | 0.0089% |
| 2005 | #962 | 182 | 0.0091% |
| 2004 | #785 | 230 | 0.0116% |
| 2003 | #738 | 244 | 0.0124% |
| 2002 | #670 | 278 | 0.0143% |
| 2001 | #666 | 273 | 0.0141% |
| 2000 | #610 | 315 | 0.0160% |
| 1999 | #584 | 334 | 0.0174% |
| 1998 | #544 | 368 | 0.0193% |
| 1997 | #487 | 439 | 0.0233% |
| 1996 | #457 | 482 | 0.0254% |
| 1995 | #424 | 537 | 0.0282% |
| 1994 | #413 | 554 | 0.0287% |
| 1993 | #394 | 587 | 0.0299% |
| 1992 | #347 | 691 | 0.0346% |
| 1991 | #333 | 744 | 0.0368% |
| 1990 | #275 | 957 | 0.0466% |
| 1989 | #260 | 973 | 0.0486% |
| 1988 | #233 | 1,043 | 0.0545% |
| 1987 | #229 | 1,023 | 0.0548% |
| 1986 | #224 | 1,059 | 0.0575% |
| 1985 | #228 | 1,016 | 0.0550% |
| 1984 | #229 | 979 | 0.0542% |
| 1983 | #231 | 973 | 0.0543% |
| 1982 | #209 | 1,180 | 0.0650% |
| 1981 | #214 | 1,160 | 0.0648% |
| 1980 | #192 | 1,281 | 0.0718% |
| 1979 | #194 | 1,250 | 0.0726% |
| 1978 | #208 | 1,065 | 0.0649% |
| 1977 | #202 | 1,120 | 0.0682% |
| 1976 | #209 | 1,018 | 0.0649% |
| 1975 | #202 | 1,087 | 0.0696% |
| 1974 | #182 | 1,233 | 0.0784% |
| 1973 | #186 | 1,235 | 0.0792% |
| 1972 | #164 | 1,582 | 0.0975% |
| 1971 | #155 | 1,874 | 0.1060% |
| 1970 | #149 | 2,197 | 0.1182% |
| 1969 | #132 | 2,281 | 0.1276% |
| 1968 | #123 | 2,453 | 0.1411% |
| 1967 | #113 | 2,742 | 0.1572% |
| 1966 | #110 | 2,846 | 0.1596% |
| 1965 | #112 | 2,875 | 0.1545% |
| 1964 | #109 | 3,159 | 0.1585% |
| 1963 | #116 | 3,131 | 0.1542% |
| 1962 | #121 | 3,019 | 0.1459% |
| 1961 | #129 | 2,826 | 0.1331% |
| 1960 | #130 | 2,881 | 0.1351% |
| 1959 | #129 | 2,816 | 0.1319% |
| 1958 | #134 | 2,672 | 0.1259% |
| 1957 | #141 | 2,427 | 0.1125% |
| 1956 | #138 | 2,387 | 0.1128% |
| 1955 | #150 | 1,933 | 0.0938% |
| 1954 | #168 | 1,692 | 0.0830% |
| 1953 | #177 | 1,515 | 0.0768% |
| 1952 | #178 | 1,466 | 0.0754% |
| 1951 | #210 | 944 | 0.0501% |
| 1950 | #233 | 789 | 0.0441% |
| 1949 | #250 | 671 | 0.0378% |
| 1948 | #303 | 519 | 0.0296% |
| 1947 | #297 | 535 | 0.0292% |
| 1946 | #334 | 373 | 0.0230% |
| 1945 | #368 | 264 | 0.0196% |
| 1944 | #348 | 294 | 0.0216% |
| 1943 | #356 | 296 | 0.0207% |
| 1942 | #377 | 258 | 0.0187% |
| 1941 | #422 | 193 | 0.0157% |
| 1940 | #417 | 194 | 0.0167% |
| 1939 | #478 | 143 | 0.0129% |
| 1938 | #503 | 134 | 0.0121% |
| 1937 | #495 | 135 | 0.0127% |
| 1936 | #560 | 106 | 0.0102% |
| 1935 | #610 | 92 | 0.0088% |
| 1934 | #737 | 69 | 0.0067% |
| 1933 | #766 | 64 | 0.0065% |
| 1932 | #799 | 64 | 0.0061% |
| 1931 | #849 | 56 | 0.0054% |
| 1930 | #716 | 77 | 0.0070% |
| 1929 | #790 | 67 | 0.0062% |
| 1928 | #839 | 62 | 0.0056% |
| 1927 | #1,049 | 45 | 0.0040% |
| 1926 | #939 | 53 | 0.0048% |
| 1925 | #1,034 | 45 | 0.0040% |
| 1924 | #1,128 | 41 | 0.0036% |
| 1923 | #1,039 | 47 | 0.0043% |
| 1922 | #1,297 | 32 | 0.0029% |
| 1921 | #1,286 | 33 | 0.0030% |
| 1920 | #1,196 | 37 | 0.0035% |
| 1919 | #1,369 | 28 | 0.0029% |
| 1918 | #1,275 | 31 | 0.0031% |
| 1917 | #1,054 | 40 | 0.0043% |
| 1916 | #1,289 | 28 | 0.0031% |
| 1915 | #935 | 45 | 0.0053% |
| 1914 | #1,064 | 29 | 0.0044% |
| 1913 | #981 | 26 | 0.0051% |
| 1912 | #1,123 | 18 | 0.0042% |
| 1911 | #1,016 | 12 | 0.0053% |
| 1910 | #1,511 | 6 | 0.0031% |
| 1908 | #1,304 | 6 | 0.0039% |
| 1906 | #1,343 | 5 | 0.0038% |
| 1905 | #1,170 | 6 | 0.0045% |
| 1899 | #1,139 | 5 | 0.0047% |
| 1896 | #801 | 9 | 0.0075% |
| 1894 | #913 | 7 | 0.0060% |
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.
