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

Courtney, 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 Courtney surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Courtney in America

Courtney is the 1294th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Courtney surname appeared 27,205 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 9 people would have the surname Courtney.

We can also compare 2010 data for Courtney 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 Courtney

The surname Courtney is derived from the Norman-French word "court," meaning a courtier or a member of a nobleman's retinue. The name has its roots in England, dating back to the 11th century after the Norman Conquest of 1066. It is believed that the name originated from the region of Courtonne in Normandy, France.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Courtney can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and population in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name is listed as "de Courtenay," referring to the family's ancestral lands in Normandy.

One of the most notable early bearers of the name was Reginald de Courtenay, who was born in the late 11th century and served as a crusader during the Third Crusade. He was also the founder of the Courtenay dynasty, which produced several notable figures throughout history.

In the 13th century, William de Courtenay (c. 1228–1292) was a prominent English prelate who served as Archbishop of Canterbury from 1272 until his death. He played a significant role in the conflicts between the Church and the Crown during the reign of King Henry III.

Another noteworthy figure was Hugh de Courtenay (c. 1303–1349), who was Earl of Devon and a distinguished military commander during the Hundred Years' War. He fought alongside King Edward III in several battles against the French, including the Battle of Crécy in 1346.

During the Tudor period, Sir William Courtenay (c. 1477–1535) was a prominent figure in the court of King Henry VIII. He served as a member of the Privy Council and was involved in the dissolution of the monasteries in England.

The name Courtney has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Courtney in Wiltshire and Courtenay in Devon, which were likely derived from the surname itself.

Throughout history, the Courtney surname has been spelled in various ways, including Courtenay, Courteney, and Curtney, reflecting the evolution of the English language and regional variations in spelling and pronunciation.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Courtney

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

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

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

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