Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Courtney

Courtney is the transferred use of a surname, originating with the Norman French as a place name called Courtenay in Northern France, and introduced to the English after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The location-based origin of the name is said to mean ‘domain of Curtenus’ from the Latin “curtus” meaning ‘broken’. It was largely a distinguished baronial name taken from a Gallo-Roman landlord named Curtenus. Alternatively, it was believed that the surname originated from a nickname from the Old French “court, curt” meaning ‘short’ along with “nes” meaning ‘nose’ (signifying someone with a short nose). In England, the first recorded spelling appeared in the 12th century as de Curtenay. In the U.K. and U.S. the name is found mainly as a girl’s name and it is currently ranked highest in Northern Ireland and Scotland.

All About the Baby Name – Courtney

Personality

OF THE GIRL NAME COURTNEY

The number Four personality is marked by stability and discipline. This is the personality that follows the rules and is conservative by nature.  They have an earth-bound energy that prefers to build things methodically on top of firm foundations; they don't cut corners. Fours take their time and don't like to be hurried. But the outcome of their endeavors is likely to result in some strong and useful structure, which makes them great engineers and inventors. Fours are anything but frivolous or controversial. This is a trustworthy, straight-forward personality that embodies dedication and organization. They are the backbone and anchor in their relationships, careers and communities. They are tidy, punctual, and full of integrity. Hard-work comes naturally to a Four and they are immensely reliable. This is the personality you can always count on.

Popularity

OF THE GIRL NAME COURTNEY

Even though the name Courtney appeared briefly and sparingly in the late 1800s, for all intents and purposes, it did not emerge on the female naming charts until 1962. Very quickly this name ascended the charts and arrived on the Top 100 list of most favored girl names within 15 short years. Courtney became super popular in the 1980s and 1990s. Her peak popularity was between 1990 and 1995 when the name was often a Top 20 choice for girls in America. As often is the case, however, what goes up must come down. Courtney’s trendy days are now over. Since the turn of the 21st century, the name has dropped over 300 positions on the charts and she still appears to be on a downward trajectory. She goes into the same bucket as other ϋber-trendy names of the 80s and 90s (think: Jessica, Brittney, Tiffany) and is usually considered “cutesy” and modern as a result. Yet Courtney has a more interesting resonance; it’s more androgynous (and therefore not uncommon as a boy’s name). It has a ‘courtly’ and distinguished sound. And if you’re an ENT doctor, we might suggest the names Courtney and Cameron (which mean ‘short nose’ and ‘crooked nose’, respectively).

Quick Facts

ON COURTNEY

GENDER:

Girl

ORIGIN:

English

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

2

RANKING POPULARITY:

535

PRONUNCIATION:

KORT-nee

SIMPLE MEANING:

Short nose

Characteristics

OF COURTNEY

Dependable

Solid

Practical

Hard-working

Industrious

Studious

Conservative

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Courtney

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME COURTNEY

We cannot find any significant literary characters by the name of Courtney

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME COURTNEY

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Courtney


Popular Songs

ON COURTNEY

Courtney
a song by The Clarks

He's Courtin' Courtney
a song by the Dickies

Famous People

NAMED COURTNEY

Courteney Cox (actress)
Courtney Love (musician)
Courtney Thorne-Smith (actress)
Courtney Kupets (gymnast)
Courtney Pine (musician)
Courtney Alexander (basketball player)
Courtney Kennedy (ice hockey player)
Courtney B. Vance (actor)
Courtney Hawkins (football player)
Courteney Cox (actress)
Courtney Love (musician)
Courtney Thorne-Smith (actress)
Courtney Kupets (gymnast)
Courtney Pine (musician)
Courtney Alexander (basketball player)
Courtney Kennedy (ice hockey player)
Courtney B. Vance (actor)
Courtney Hawkins (football player)
Courteney Cox (actress)
Courtney Love (musician)
Courtney Thorne-Smith (actress)
Courtney Kupets (gymnast)
Courtney Pine (musician)
Courtney Alexander (basketball player)
Courtney Kennedy (ice hockey player)
Courtney B. Vance (actor)
Courtney Hawkins (football player)

Children of Famous People

NAMED COURTNEY

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Courtney

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME COURTNEY

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Courtney