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

Cortez, 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 Cortez surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cortez in America

Cortez is the 310th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cortez surname appeared 101,694 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 34 people would have the surname Cortez.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cortez 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 Cortez

The surname Cortez is of Spanish origin, derived from the word "corte" meaning "court" or "courtier". It is believed to have emerged during the 11th century in the Iberian Peninsula, particularly in the regions of Castile and Aragon.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cortez can be found in the 12th century "Libro de las Behetrias" (Book of Lineages), a medieval document that recorded the names of noblemen and landowners in the Kingdom of Castile. The name was often associated with individuals who held positions in the royal court or were closely linked to the monarchy.

The Cortez surname gained particular prominence during the 16th century, when Hernán Cortés (1485-1547), a Spanish conquistador, led the conquest of the Aztec Empire in what is now modern-day Mexico. His exploits and subsequent establishment of Spanish rule in the region played a significant role in the spread and recognition of the Cortez name.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Cortez. One example is Juan Cortés (1451-1527), a Spanish nobleman and military commander who participated in the conquest of Granada and served as a trusted advisor to King Ferdinand II of Aragon.

Another prominent figure was Martín Cortés (1532-1589), the son of Hernán Cortés, who served as the second Marquis of the Valley of Oaxaca and played a crucial role in the colonization and governance of New Spain (present-day Mexico).

In the realm of literature, the Spanish poet and playwright Juan Bautista Diamante Cortés (1625-1687) made significant contributions to the Golden Age of Spanish literature with his works, including the play "El Honrador de su Padre" (The Honorer of His Father).

The Cortez surname has also been associated with various place names, such as Cortez, a city in Colorado, United States, and Cortez Island, located off the coast of British Columbia, Canada.

It is worth noting that variations of the spelling, such as Cortes, Cortés, and Cortez, can be found throughout different regions and historical records, reflecting the linguistic and cultural diversity of the regions where the name has been present.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cortez

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

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 Cortez 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 Cortez 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 Cortez was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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