Given name & surname
Art
“strong as a bear”
Art is a short form of Arthur. Arthur is sometimes interpreted as “strong as a bear,” but a secure literal meaning is not established. Arthur’s heroic associations arise clearly from Arthurian legend and should be distinguished from a proven word-for-word etymology.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Art is a short form of Arthur. Arthur is sometimes interpreted as “strong as a bear,” but a secure literal meaning is not established. Arthur’s heroic associations arise clearly from Arthurian legend and should be distinguished from a proven word-for-word etymology.
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Art is a short form of Arthur. Arthur belongs to a Celtic and British naming tradition, though its precise derivation is obscure. Early material includes the Latinized form Artorius; that form alone does not settle the name’s ultimate roots.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In English usage, Art is a diminutive of Arthur. In German usage, Art is a short form of Arthur. Art is a short form of Arthur. The shared background comes through Arthur: Arthur’s historical forms include the Latinized Artorius. Arthur’s deeper derivation is obscure, so the modern spelling provides no secure word-for-word explanation.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Art is a short form of Arthur. The history of Arthur gives this family its wider story. Medieval literature built an extensive body of legend around King Arthur, whose historical identity is uncertain. In nineteenth-century Britain, the fame of Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, and Tennyson’s Idylls of the King helped renew interest in the name. The wider Victorian enthusiasm for medieval stories formed part of that revival.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Art through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 6,146
- 6,141 boys · 5 girls
- Most popular year
- 1961
- 189 babies
- 2025
- 34
- #3,382 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +25%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 34 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 3,382 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 24.8% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 189 in 1961. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (7). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 9,521 as a first name in 2020; 720 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Art’s family of names
In English usage, Art is a diminutive of Arthur. In German usage, Art shares a linguistic root with the Central Franconian form AAD. In German usage, Art has a conventional equivalent in the Ukrainian form Арт.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Art has relatives in 5 languages.
6 related names in 5 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 3
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 8
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Art
- Art CarneyAmerican actor and comedian (1918–2003)
- Art GarfunkelAmerican singer (born 1941)
- Art TatumAmerican jazz pianist (1909–1956)
- Art BlakeyAmerican jazz drummer and bandleader (1919–1990)
- Art Buchwaldjournalist, humorist, United States Marine (1925–2007)
- Art ClokeyAmerican animator (1921-2010)
- Art FarmerAmerican jazz trumpeter (1928–1999)
- Art PepperAmerican saxophonist (1925–1982)
- Art MetranoAmerican actor (1936–2021)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Art, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Franz
“a man from France; one who is free” · “frenchman”
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“princess; lady” · “a savior”
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“a peaceful ruler”
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Eddy
“a wealthy protector” · “one who is wealthy in friendship”
94% boys · 6% girls
Lutz
Lutz is used as a given name and a surname. Lutz is connected with Ludwig.
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Arrt
“strong as a bear”
—
Rolf
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Rene
“the king's advisor” · “one who has been reborn”
93% boys · 7% girls