Find out how popular the last name Cortese is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Cortese.

Cortese, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Cortese surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cortese in America

Cortese is the 7844th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cortese surname appeared 4,221 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Cortese.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cortese to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Cortese

The surname Cortese originates from Italy, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 11th century. It is believed to be derived from the Italian word "corte," meaning "court" or "courtyard," suggesting that the name may have been associated with someone who lived or worked near a courtyard or castle. Alternatively, it could also be related to the word "cortese," meaning "courteous" or "polite," implying that the name was initially given to someone known for their polite demeanor.

One of the earliest mentions of the name Cortese can be found in a document from the city of Genoa, dated around 1150, where a person named Guglielmo Cortese is listed as a witness to a property transaction. This indicates that the name was already in use among the Italian population by the 12th century.

During the 13th century, the Cortese family gained prominence in the city of Pavia, where they were involved in local politics and held influential positions. In 1278, a certain Giacomo Cortese is recorded as serving as a magistrate in Pavia, further cementing the family's standing in the region.

In the 14th century, a branch of the Cortese family migrated to Sicily, where they established themselves as landowners and influential members of the local nobility. One notable figure from this period was Vincenzo Cortese (1335-1402), a wealthy landowner and patron of the arts, who commissioned several religious artworks for churches in Palermo.

As the centuries passed, the Cortese name continued to spread across various regions of Italy, with notable individuals emerging in different fields. One such individual was Antonio Cortese (1495-1571), a renowned humanist scholar and Catholic prelate, who served as the Bishop of Urbino and was known for his writings on theology and philosophy.

In the realm of literature, Giulio Cesare Cortese (1570-1640) was a celebrated Italian poet and playwright from Naples, whose works were widely acclaimed during the Baroque period. His most famous play, "La Calandra," is considered a masterpiece of Renaissance comedy.

The Cortese name has also been associated with the wine industry, particularly in the Piedmont region of Italy. The Cortese grape variety is used to produce the renowned Gavi wine, and several prominent winemaking families bear this surname, including the Cortese family of Gavi, whose vineyards date back to the 17th century.

Other notable individuals with the surname Cortese include Nino Cortese (1899-1984), an Italian film director and screenwriter best known for his collaboration with Federico Fellini on the classic movie "La Strada"; and Giacomo Cortese (1513-1598), an Italian architect and sculptor who designed several notable buildings in the city of Naples.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cortese

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Cortese.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Cortese was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Cortese has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Cortese was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Cortese, please contact us.

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