Total births
5,074
Boys' name · since 1896
Curtiss
5,074 babies named Curtiss in U.S. Social Security records since 1896, with the highest year being 1959. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #12397
- among boys today
- 5,074
- born since 1896
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 13%
- more common than other boys
Curtiss currently ranks #12397 among boys' names in America, with 5,074 babies recorded since 1896.
Curtiss has 5,074 recorded births among boys since 1896, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #12397 as of the latest data, more common than 13% of boys, busiest in the 1950s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1896 to 2024.
- #12397 among boys today
- 5,074 born since 1896
- 1950s peak decade
- 13% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Curtiss is currently the #12397 boys' name in America, more common than 13% of boys - 5,074 born since 1896, peaking in the 1950s.
- #12397
- among boys today
- 5,074
- born since 1896
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 13%
- more common than other boys
Curtiss vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#12397
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 13% of names given to boys today.
1950s
Peak decade
19% of everyone ever named Curtiss was born in this single decade.
1959
Single peak year
126 babies were named Curtiss in 1959 - its busiest year on record.
How Curtiss compares
5,074 Top 12% higher than 88% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Curtiss's all-time total is 14x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Curtiss | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 5,074 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 126 | 23 | 22,252 |
Curtiss's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Curtiss's full recorded timeline at 1962, 36% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 64% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1907, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1959 peak of 126 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Curtiss at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1959
Current rank
#12,397
Active since
1896
Curtiss popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1896–2024
- Peak year (1959)
- 126
- Annual births at peak, across 129 years of records
Curtiss by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Curtiss's strongest decade.
947 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 19% of all-time use.
Curtiss births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1890s 6
1890s
6 births
- 1900s 16
1900s
16 births
- 1910s 236
1910s
236 births
- 1920s
1920s
475 births
- 1930s
1930s
586 births
- 1940s
1940s
781 births
- 1950s
1950s
947 births
- 1960s
1960s
792 births
- 1970s
1970s
463 births
- 1980s
1980s
379 births
- 1990s 232
1990s
232 births
- 2000s 94
2000s
94 births
- 2010s 57
2010s
57 births
- 2020s 10
2020s
10 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 947 births (19% of all-time use).
How Curtiss compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Curtiss's total volume
Curtiss vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Curtiss by state
Where Curtiss concentrates geographically, total births since 1896
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 161 | 3.2% |
| #2 | Illinois | | 137 | 2.7% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 126 | 2.5% |
| #4 | New York | | 123 | 2.4% |
| #5 | Texas | | 67 | 1.3% |
| #6 | Wisconsin | | 63 | 1.2% |
| #7 | North Carolina | | 57 | 1.1% |
| #8 | Minnesota | | 53 | 1.0% |
California share of Curtiss's total US births 3.2%
Even split
161 of 5,074 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 25 reporting states.
Curtiss appears in 25 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Curtiss? ▼
Since 1896, Social Security records show 5,074 babies named Curtiss. Today it holds rank #12397 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1959, with 126 births.
When was Curtiss most popular? ▼
Curtiss was most popular in the 1950s decade with 947 total births. The single peak year was 1959.
Where is Curtiss most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Curtiss are California (161 births), Illinois (137 births), Ohio (126 births).
How long has the name Curtiss been used? ▼
Records for Curtiss go back to 1896, giving 129 years of history through 2024.
What names are similar to Curtiss? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Curtis, Curt, Curley, Curry, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Curtiss's data
- Curtiss's decade-level peak was the 1950s (947 total births); usage has since declined to 10 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Curtisss (161 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Curtiss
Nearby Names Like Curtiss
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Curtiss
Curtis Boy
#930 260,554 births
Curt Boy
#8319 16,680 births
Curley Boy
2,590 births
Curry Boy
#9930 1,570 births
Curran Boy
#8386 1,158 births
Compare Curtiss side by side: Curtiss vs Curtis Curtiss vs Curt Curtiss vs Curley
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Curtiss
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1896–2024 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Curtiss: #12397 Boys' Name - 5,074 Births, Peak 1959." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/curtiss. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Curtiss draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.