boy's name
Kurt
KURT
- Origin German
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 1
- Letters 4
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 89,701
Northern Ireland
#365
2011 births
Kurt means bold counsel, shortened from Konrad — and the courteous reading commonly given is a false friend, coming from an unrelated French word that only sounds similar. It peaked in 1964, and holds 88,519 lifetime births.
- Kurt is a name of German origin.
- Peaked in 1964, when 3,168 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 53,476 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1894.
- 1 syllable, with the stress on syllable 1.
Kurt over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1890s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 21 |
| 1900s | 17 |
| 1910s | 263 |
| 1920s | 462 |
| 1930s | 940 |
| 1940s | 3,597 |
| 1950s | 18,656 |
| 1960s | 28,301 |
| 1970s | 13,702 |
| 1980s | 10,733 |
| 1990s | 5,693 |
| 2000s | 2,134 |
| 2010s | 1,098 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 437 |
What Kurt means
Kurt means bold counsel, or brave adviser. The Germanic joins a word for boldness to one meaning counsel, so the compound describes courage in giving advice.
Where Kurt comes from
Kurt is a German short form of Konrad, from the Germanic kuoni, bold, joined to rad, counsel — bold in counsel. The courteous gloss comes from the unrelated French courtois, of the court, and does not connect. Konrad was a name of German kings and dukes from the tenth century. A separate Turkish Kurt exists meaning wolf, which is a genuine coincidence rather than a shared root.
Kurt in use
Kurt peaked in the United States in 1964, when 3,168 babies were registered, and is falling in our data. It charts in four of the seven markets we track — 2,279th in the United States on 62 births, 2624th in England and Wales on 10 and 3048th in France on 10 — across 89,701 lifetime births. Our records carry it from 1880.
How popular is Kurt?
In 2025, Kurt was given to 62 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Kurt is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Kurt
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Kurt also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Kurt over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Kurt in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Kurt
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Kurt — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Kurt
What does the name Kurt mean?
Bold counsel — the Germanic kuoni, bold, joined to rad, counsel.
Does Kurt mean courteous?
No. That comes from the unrelated French courtois and is a false friend.
Is Kurt short for Konrad?
Yes, a German short form.
How popular is Kurt?
2279th in the United States, down from a 1964 peak of 3,168 births.
Is Kurt a girl's or a boy's name?
Kurt is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Kurt?
Kurt has 1 syllable.
Is Kurt a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Kurt currently ranks #2,112 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.