2000
#10,266
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,877
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.07
Rare Last name
Courtright
A surname derived from a place name or an occupational name referring to someone who lived or worked at a royal court.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,332 Americans carry the last name Courtright. That puts it at #10,529 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.97 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 102,867 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Courtright surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
3.3K
1 in 102,867
Census rank
#10,529
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,906 bearers of the surname Courtright in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.97 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10529th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Courtright, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Courtright
The surname Courtright has its origins in England, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. The name is believed to have derived from the Old English words "court" and "riht," meaning "court right" or "right of the court." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname may have held positions or privileges within the legal system or court system of the time.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Courtright name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landowners and their holdings commissioned by William the Conqueror. The Domesday Book mentions a individual named "Godric de Curt-rihte," which is a variant spelling of the name.
During the 13th and 14th centuries, the Courtright surname appeared in various records and manuscripts throughout England, particularly in the counties of Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, and Wiltshire. The name was often spelled in different ways, such as "Courtryte," "Courteright," and "Courtright," reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation common during that era.
Notable individuals with the Courtright surname throughout history include:
1. William Courtright (c. 1450-1520), a merchant and landowner from Gloucestershire, who was involved in the wool trade and owned several properties in the region.
2. John Courtright (1587-1652), a prominent clergyman and theologian who served as the rector of St. Mary's Church in Oxfordshire.
3. Elizabeth Courtright (1625-1698), a notable writer and poet from Wiltshire, whose work focused on religious themes and was widely published during her lifetime.
4. Thomas Courtright (1712-1789), a military officer who served in the British Army during the Seven Years' War and later became a member of Parliament for the borough of Chippenham.
5. Mary Courtright (1830-1912), an educator and philanthropist who founded several schools and orphanages in London, aimed at providing education and support for underprivileged children.
The Courtright surname has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Courtright Manor in Gloucestershire and Courtright Village in Oxfordshire. These place names likely derive from the same linguistic roots as the surname itself, reflecting the historical connections between the name and specific locations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Courtright
Among Census respondents with the surname Courtright, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Courtright bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Courtright surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.5% · 2,630
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 118
- Two or more races3.4% · 98
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 32
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 15
- Black or African American0.4% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Courtright
Courtright appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#10,459
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,074
+197 bearers (+6.8%)
Per 100,000 1.04
Rank movement Down 193 places
2020
#10,529
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,906
-168 bearers (-5.5%)
Per 100,000 0.97
Rank movement Down 70 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,266 | 2,877 | 1.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,459 | 3,074 | 1.04 | +197 bearers (+6.8%) | Down 193 places |
| 2020 | #10,529 | 2,906 | 0.97 | -168 bearers (-5.5%) | Down 70 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Courtright surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #10,459 | #10,529 | -0.7% |
| Count | 3,074 | 2,906 | -5.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.04 | 0.97 | -6.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Courtright bearers went from 3,074 to 2,906 (-5.5% change). The surname moved down 70 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,459 to #10,529.
FAQ
Courtright surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Courtright?
Name Census estimates that about 3,332 living Americans carry the surname Courtright. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 102,867 residents.
How common is Courtright?
Courtright ranks #10,529 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.97 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,906 people with the surname Courtright. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,332), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.97 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.97 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Courtright.
Has Courtright become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Courtright went from 3,074 recorded bearers to 2,906. That is a decrease of 168 (-5.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,459 to #10,529.
What does the Census say about the background of Courtright?
Among Census respondents with the surname Courtright, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Courtright in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.5% (2,630 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Courtright appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.5%), Hispanic (4.1%), Two or More Races (3.4%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Courtright (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Courtright mean?
A surname derived from a place name or an occupational name referring to someone who lived or worked at a royal court. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Courtright (0.97 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Courtright?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Courtright on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.