Courage
A quality of resolute mind and firm spirit.
Name Census estimates that about 316 living Americans carry the first name Courage. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 80.6% of registrations being male. The average person named Courage today is around 13 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Courage births was 2018 (25 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Courage. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
316
~ 1 in 1,084,666 Americans
Peak year
2018
25 babies that year
Average age
13
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,313
Tracked since 1990
Gender
Gender distribution for Courage
Courage leans heavily male at 80.6% of total registrations, but 62 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Courage as a male name
- Ranked #7,313 in 2024
- 11 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2019 (18 births)
Courage as a female name
- Ranked #13,809 in 2023
- 6 female births in 2023
- Peak: 2018 (11 births)
Popularity
Courage: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Courage from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 156 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Courage remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Courage by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Courage during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Courage
The name Courage is derived from the Old French word "corage", which itself comes from the Latin "cor" meaning "heart". It originated in medieval times and was often used as a virtue name, representing bravery, valor, and fortitude.
The earliest recorded use of the name Courage dates back to the 13th century, when it appeared in various literary works and historical records across Europe. One notable example is the French epic poem "The Song of Roland", which features a character named Courage who displays unwavering bravery in battle.
Throughout history, several famous individuals have borne the name Courage. One of the earliest was Courage le Vaillant (1265-1329), a French knight who fought alongside King Philip IV during the Hundred Years' War. His valorous deeds on the battlefield earned him the epithet "the Valiant".
Another notable figure was Courage Bradford (1590-1667), an English Puritan and one of the first settlers of the Plymouth Colony in North America. He is remembered for his resilience and determination in the face of adversity during the colony's early years.
In the 18th century, Courage Brewster (1723-1789) was a British naval officer who distinguished himself in several battles during the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War. His daring exploits and leadership skills earned him a reputation as a fearless and courageous commander.
During the 19th century, Courage Hoskins (1842-1912) was a prominent African American educator and civil rights activist. She dedicated her life to promoting equal educational opportunities for Black children and played a pivotal role in establishing several schools and colleges in the southern United States.
In more recent times, Courage Tshawane (1927-2005) was a South African anti-apartheid activist and politician. He spent years in prison for his role in the struggle against racial segregation and later served as a member of the post-apartheid government, working tirelessly to promote reconciliation and social justice.
People
Courage + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Courage as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Courage: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Courage?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 316 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Courage going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,084,666 US residents.
Is Courage a common name?
We classify Courage as "Very Rare". It ranks above 79.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 319 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Courage most popular?
The single biggest year for Courage was 2018, when 25 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Courage is about 13 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Courage a male name?
Yes, 80.6% of people registered as Courage in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.