Given name & surname · also Old French
Courtney
“a courteous woman; courtly”·“a courteous man; courtly”
Courtney is used as a given name and a surname. Interpretations include “a courteous woman; courtly” (English) and “a courteous man; courtly” (English). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Interpretations include “a courteous woman; courtly” (English) and “a courteous man; courtly” (English). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Old French.
How it developed
It entered given-name use through an existing surname.
The story
Its naming history includes the use of a family name as a given name.
Courtney through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 281,432
- 23,033 boys · 258,399 girls
- Most popular year
- 1990
- 16,055 babies
- 2025
- 116
- #2,335 for girls · #3,141 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −52%
- Cooling
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 26% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 78 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 2,335 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 55.2% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 15,380 in 1990. It also appeared in 38 birth records for boys in 2025. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (9). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 246,235 as a first name in 2020; 25,782 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.
Courtney’s family of names
Courtney has a related form in Cortney. In English usage, Courtney has a related form in Kourtney. Courtney has a related form in Courtland.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 30
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Kourtneyvariant · English
- Courtlandvariant
- Cortlandvariant
- Courtlynvariant
- Cortneyvariant
- Courteneyvariant · English
- Courtvariant
- Courtnivariant
Show 22 moreShow fewer
- Courtnyvariant
- Courtnievariant
- Courtneevariant
- Courtnayvariant
- Courtenayvariant · English
- Cortnyvariant
- Cortnievariant
- Cortneevariant
- Cortnivariant
- Corteneyvariant
- Cordneyvariant
- Courttneylikely variant
- Courtneyelikely variant
- Courtneielikely variant
- Cotneyvariant · English
- Courtevariant
- Cortneavariant
- Courtneavariant
- Courteneighvariant
- Cortneighvariant
- Cortenayvariant
- Cordnivariant
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.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Courtney
- Courtney LoveAmerican rock musician (born 1964)
- Courtney Thorne-SmithAmerican actressborn 1967
- Courtney B. VanceAmerican actorborn 1960
- Courtney BarnettAustralian singer-songwriter and rock guitaristborn 1987
- Courtney EatonAustralian actress and model (born 1996)
- Courtney HodgesUnited States general (1887-1966)
- Courtney LeeAmerican basketball player (born 1985)
- Courtney FordAmerican actressborn 1978
- Courtney FrerichsAmerican athletics competitorborn 1993
Characters named Courtney: Courtney Whitmore (the DC Comics universe).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Courtney, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Kirby
“from the church town” · “from the village with the church”
48% boys · 52% girls
Farren
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Teal
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Carrington
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32% boys · 68% girls
Devine
“resembling an ox” · “of the divine”
50% boys · 50% girls
Skyler
“one who is learned; a scholar” · “a fugitive”
44% boys · 56% girls
Tracey
“a woman warrior” · “one who is brave”
33% boys · 67% girls
Freedom
“an independent woman” · “an independent man”
39% boys · 61% girls