Cortland
From an English location name, derived from words meaning "court land".
Name Census estimates that about 1,857 living Americans carry the first name Cortland. It is a predominantly male name (97.7% of registrations). The average person named Cortland today is around 29 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Cortland births was 2011 (62 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Cortland. 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
1.9K
~ 1 in 184,574 Americans
Peak year
2011
62 babies that year
Average age
29
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,262
Tracked since 1913
Gender
Gender distribution for Cortland
Cortland leans heavily male at 97.7% of total registrations, but 49 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Cortland as a male name
- Ranked #5,262 in 2024
- 18 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2011 (62 births)
Cortland as a female name
- Ranked #15,746 in 2024
- 5 female births in 2024
- Peak: 1994 (7 births)
Popularity
Cortland: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Cortland from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 12 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 510 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Cortland 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 Cortland during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Cortlands live
The SSA's state-level files cover 11 states and territories. Texas, Tennessee, California recorded the most babies named Cortland, while Utah, Oregon, Louisiana recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 16 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Cortland
The name Cortland has its origins in the Old English language, derived from the words "cort" meaning "court" and "land" meaning "land" or "estate." It was initially used as a surname in England during the medieval period, referring to someone who lived near or worked on a courtly estate.
In the late 16th century, the name Cortland began to be used as a given name, particularly among the English gentry and aristocracy. Its connection to the courtly life and landowning class made it a desirable name for parents who wanted to convey a sense of prestige and status.
One of the earliest recorded instances of Cortland as a first name can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church, Whitby, in Yorkshire, England, where a Cortland Smythe was baptized in 1598. Another notable early bearer of the name was Sir Cortland Whittington, a prominent English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in the 17th century.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Cortland. These include Cortland Van Rensselaer (1808-1860), an American politician and member of the prominent Van Rensselaer family of New York. Cortland Skinner (1865-1934) was an American lawyer and author who served as the United States Assistant Attorney General during the Woodrow Wilson administration.
In the field of literature, Cortland Fitzsimmons (1886-1959) was an American poet and writer known for his works celebrating rural life and nature. Cortland Van Camp (1921-1994) was an American actor and playwright who appeared in numerous films and television shows throughout his career.
Another notable figure was Cortland Puddington (1932-2008), an American human rights activist and scholar who served as the executive director of Freedom House, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting democracy and freedom worldwide.
While the name Cortland was historically more prevalent in England and the United States, it has also been used in other English-speaking countries, though with varying degrees of popularity. Its unique blend of courtly and landed connotations has made it a distinctive choice for parents seeking a name with a sense of history and tradition.
People
Cortland + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Cortland 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
Cortland: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Cortland?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,857 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Cortland 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 184,574 US residents.
Is Cortland a common name?
We classify Cortland as "Rare". It ranks above 93.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,166 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Cortland most popular?
The single biggest year for Cortland was 2011, when 62 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Cortland is about 29 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Cortland a male name?
Yes, 97.7% of people registered as Cortland 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.