Kurt Ranke (14 April 1908 – 6 June 1985) was a German ethnologist who specialized in the study of fairy tales.

Ranke subsequently transferred to the University of Kiel, where he in 1933 gained a PhD on fairy tales under the supervision of Karl Wesle.

[1] After gaining his habilitation, Ranke lectured at Kiel on ethnology and ancient history, but was drafted into the Wehrmacht during World War II.

He began publishing the Encyclopedia of Fairy Tales in 1957, and founded the journal Fabula in 1958, of which he served as editor.

Ranke played a leading role in the publishing of the second edition of the Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde, and was a co-editor of several of its volumes.