Given name & surname
Courtenay
“a courteous woman; courtly”·“a courteous man; courtly”
In English use, Courtenay has a related form in Courtney. Interpretations include “a courteous woman; courtly” (English) and “a courteous man; courtly” (English). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Meaning & origin
What it means
In English use, Courtenay has a related form in Courtney. Interpretations include “a courteous woman; courtly” (English) and “a courteous man; courtly” (English). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
In English use, Courtenay has a related form in Courtney. An origin associated with Courtney is Old French.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1915. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. In English use, Courtenay has a related form in Courtney. The history of Courtney gives this family its wider story. Courtney’s naming history includes the use of a family name as a given name.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Courtenay through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,435
- 246 boys · 1,189 girls
- Most popular year
- 1966
- 78 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- —
- Too few births to compare
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 17% boys.
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for girls is 5 in 2005. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for girls was 67 in 1966. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,461 as a first name in 2020; 391 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Courtenay’s family of names
Courtenay has a related form in Courtney. In English usage, Courtenay has a conventional equivalent in the Russian form Кортни.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Courtenay
- Courtenay Tayloractressborn 1969
- Courtenay Becker-Deysailorborn 1965
- Courtenay FooteBritish actor1878–1925
- Courtenay Edward StevensBritish historian (1905-1976)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Courtenay, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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Kimberlee
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Colleen
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Kellie
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>99% girls