Courage

What does Courage mean?

Courage conveys the idea of bravery rooted in the heart. The English word comes through Old French from Latin roots related to the heart, so as a given name it emphasises inner strength and the willingness to face fear or difficulty.

As a name, Courage feels direct and purposeful. It carries a positive, values-driven tone similar to other virtue names and suggests steadiness and moral resolve rather than showiness. If you like names that are literal in meaning and that make a clear statement, Courage sits comfortably alongside contemporary choices that are both meaningful and modern.

Historical Context

The word behind the name is Old French corage, itself derived from Latin cor meaning 'heart'. In English, courage evolved as a common noun describing mental or moral strength in the face of danger. Virtue names have a long history, especially in religious and Puritan contexts where abstract qualities became given names. However, that tradition usually favoured names such as Faith, Hope and Charity.

Using the actual English word Courage as a given name is more recent and aligns with late twentieth and early twenty first century trends for word names and virtue names. This modern usage emphasises clarity of purpose: the name reads as an intentional wish or value rather than a traditional inherited name. Where older forms such as corage or related Latin terms appear in historical texts, they function as the linguistic ancestors rather than as direct predecessors in common naming practice.

Popularity of Courage over time

What do parents think of Courage?