Cortell
A Spanish diminutive form of Cortes meaning "courteous, polite".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Cortell. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Cortell today is around 26 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Cortell births was 2000 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Cortell. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Cortell. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2000
5 babies that year
Average age
26
years old
2000 SSA rank
#10,672
Tracked since 2000
Popularity
Cortell: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Cortell 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 Cortell during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Cortell
The given name Cortell has its roots in the ancient Etruscan language, which flourished in central Italy from around the 8th century BC to the 1st century AD. It is believed to be derived from the Etruscan word "curtun," which means "strong" or "powerful."
The earliest recorded use of the name Cortell dates back to the 5th century BC, when it was found inscribed on a bronze artifact discovered in the Etruscan city of Veii. This suggests that the name was in use among the Etruscan nobility or aristocracy during that time period.
In the 3rd century BC, a wealthy Etruscan merchant named Cortell Arunsius was mentioned in a Roman historical text for his extensive trade dealings with the Greek city-states. His name's appearance in this early Roman record underscores the cultural exchange and influence between the Etruscans and the emerging Roman civilization.
During the medieval period, the name Cortell gained some popularity in parts of Italy and France, likely due to the enduring influence of Etruscan culture in those regions. One notable figure from this era was Cortell de Montpellier, a French nobleman and troubadour who lived in the 12th century and composed several celebrated lyrical poems.
In the Renaissance era, the name Cortell resurfaced among Italian humanist scholars and artists who were fascinated by the rediscovery of Etruscan artifacts and language. Cortell Falconieri, an Italian painter born in 1468, is remembered for his vibrant frescoes adorning churches in Florence and Siena.
Another figure of historical significance was Cortell Grimaldi, a 16th-century Italian explorer and navigator who led several expeditions to the Americas and the Caribbean on behalf of the Spanish crown. His detailed accounts of these voyages provided valuable insights into the geography and indigenous cultures of the New World.
While the name Cortell has become less common in modern times, it remains a testament to the enduring cultural legacy of the ancient Etruscans, whose language and traditions have left an indelible mark on the history of the Italian peninsula and beyond.
People
Cortell + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Cortell 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
Cortell: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Cortell?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Cortell 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Cortell a common name?
We classify Cortell as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Cortell most popular?
The single biggest year for Cortell was 2000, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Cortell is about 26 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Cortell in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Cortell a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Cortell 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.
Is Cortell still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Cortell in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Cortell can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Cortell?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people share the name Cortell at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.