Find out how popular the last name Kourtis is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Kourtis.
An ethnic surname indicating Greek origin or ancestry.
Kourtis, 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 Kourtis surname is from the 2010 census data.
Kourtis is the 126765th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Kourtis surname appeared 135 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Kourtis.
We can also compare 2010 data for Kourtis 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.
| 2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | 126765 | 127186 | -0.33% |
| Count | 135 | 124 | 8.49% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.00% |
The surname Kourtis is of Greek origin, originating from the island of Crete during the Byzantine era. It is derived from the Greek word "kourti," meaning "courtyard" or "small castle." This surname was likely first adopted by families who lived near or owned properties containing courtyards or small fortified structures.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kourtis can be found in the archives of the Venetian Republic, which ruled over parts of Crete from the 13th to the 17th century. A document from the late 15th century mentions a certain Georgios Kourtis, a landowner from the village of Arkalochori.
During the Ottoman rule of Crete, which lasted from the late 17th to the early 20th century, the surname Kourtis was also found among Greek Orthodox Christian families living in the island's towns and villages. In the 18th century, a prominent figure named Ioannis Kourtis served as a local leader and representative for the Greek community in the city of Rethymno.
As Crete transitioned to becoming part of the modern Greek state in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the surname Kourtis spread to other parts of Greece due to migration and relocation. One notable individual from this period was Konstantinos Kourtis, born in 1856 in the village of Kalami, who became a respected educator and author of textbooks on Greek grammar and literature.
In the 20th century, several individuals with the surname Kourtis achieved recognition in various fields. Eleftherios Kourtis (1912-1995) was a renowned Greek painter and engraver, known for his depictions of landscapes and everyday life in Greece. Vasilis Kourtis (1932-2023) was a celebrated Greek actor and director, whose career spanned over six decades in theater, film, and television.
Another notable figure was Alexandros Kourtis (1924-2007), a Greek politician and member of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) party. He served as a member of the Greek Parliament and held several ministerial positions, including Minister of Public Order and Minister of National Defense.
While the surname Kourtis is more commonly found in Greece and among Greek diaspora communities, it has also been adopted by families in other parts of the world, likely due to migration and intermarriage. However, the name's roots can be traced back to the island of Crete and its rich cultural and historical heritage.
We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Kourtis.
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:
For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Kourtis was:
| Race/Ethnicity | Percentage | Total Occurrences |
|---|---|---|
| Non-Hispanic White Only | 93.33% | 126 |
| Non-Hispanic Black Only | 0.00% | 0 |
| Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only | 0.00% | 0 |
| Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native | (S)% | (S) |
| Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races | (S)% | (S) |
| Hispanic Origin | (S)% | (S) |
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 Kourtis has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.
| 2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 93.33% | 93.55% | -0.24% |
| Black | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
| Two or More Races | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
| Hispanic | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
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 Kourtis was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.
If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Kourtis, please contact us.
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