Courtney Name Meaning: Origin, Popularity & Nicknames

What Does Courtney Mean?

Courtney is a popular unisex name derived from the Latin word “Curtenus” which came from “curtus,” the Latin word for “short.” A second meaning was a Norman nickname for someone with a short nose: ”Curtus” and “nes” ⁽¹⁾.

What Is the Origin of the Name Courtney?

Courtney originated from the Latin word for short, “curtus.” Curtus gave way to “Curtenus,” which eventually led to several different uses. In Old French, Courtenay was a place in Loiret and Gâtinais. In addition, the House of Courtenay was a prominent French family with royal lineage in France and England. The English Courtenays were the Earls of Devon.

Courtney also has some Irish roots. The name “O’Curnain” meant “descendant of Curnan.” However, the first recorded surname that was a precursor to Courtney was Reginald de Curtenay from 1164. Over time, it evolved from a surname to a given name for boys and girls ⁽²⁾.

How Popular Is the Name Courtney?

Courtney has been a pretty popular boy’s name since 1900. It began the century in 854th place, saw a significant drop in the early 1900s and 1920s, then fluctuated significantly until the mid-1960s, when it reached 560th place. After that, there was a rapid increase for the next two decades before Courtney began to decline in popularity. Today, it sits at 897th place for boys.

Courtney didn’t see much use as a girl’s name until 1962 when it broke 1,000 for the first time. Its popularity soared throughout the rest of the 20th century, peaking at 17th in 1995 before declining. It started to dip significantly in the 2010s, and by 2017, it was at 951st place. It hasn’t broken 1,000 for girls since ⁽³⁾.

How Do I Pronounce Courtney?

The proper pronunciation of Courtney is “kohrt-nee.”

Is Courtney a Boy or Girl Name?

Historically, Courtney was a surname that turned into a boy’s given name. However, it became a popular girl’s given name in the latter half of the 21st century. Today, it’s a common unisex name, although it’s statistically more popular for boys.

Variations of Courtney

Courtney has a long evolutionary history, which has given it several English variations and spellings.

• Caurtney
• Coartney
• Cortnee
• Cortney
• Cortnie
• Courtenay
• Courteney
• Courtnay
• Courtny
• Kourtney

Nicknames for Courtney

Courtney is a classic name with plenty of nickname options.

• Cece (girls)
• Cordie (unisex)
• Corey (unisex)
• Cort (unisex)
• Court (unisex)
• Nee (unisex)
• Ney (unisex)
• Ni-Ni (girls)

Similar Name to Courtney

Since Courtney derives from a surname, it has a strong feel. Here are a few other name options that offer options for boys and girls, just like Courtney.

• Alexander/Alexandra
• Andrew/Andrea
• Christopher/Christina
• Corey
• Daniel/Danielle
• Leslie
• Nicholas/Nicole
• Stephen/Stephanie
• Sydney

Middle Names for Courtney

Courtney is an easy name to pair with any number of middle names. Here are a few options for middle names for boys and girls.

Boy Middle Names for Courtney

• Callum
• Evan
• James
• Jeffrey
• Jordan
• Kallan
• Ryan
• William

Girl Middle Names for Courtney

• Amelia
• Anne
• Hope
• Marie
• Michelle
• Rose
• Ryan
• Sage

Sibling Names for Courtney

If you’re like most parents, you probably want your children’s names to complement one another. Fortunately, there’s no shortage of great names that go with Courtney.

Sister Names for Courtney

• Annabelle (Ann, Anna, Bella, Belle)
• Bethany (Beth)
• Cynthia (Cindy)
• Diana (Di, Ana)
• Elizabeth (Bet, Beth, El, Ellie, Liz, Lizzie)
• Jennifer (Jen, Jenn, Jennie, Jenny)
• Josephine (Jo)
• Lily
• Mary
• Victoria (Tori, Vickie, Vicky)

Brother Names for Courtney

• Andrew (Drew)
• Brian (Bri)
• Daniel (Dan, Danny)
• Devon
• Edward (Ed, Eddie)
• Geoffrey (Geoff, Jeff)
• Kieran
• Michael (Mik, Mike, Mikey)
• William (Bill, Billy, Liam, Will, Willy)
• Zachary (Zac, Zach, Zack)

Famous People Named Courtney

Since Courtney has such a long history, it’s no surprise there are a lot of famous faces who bear the name. Here’s a brief list of some popular Courtneys.

• Courtney Marie Andrews: American singer-songwriter.
• Courtney Barnett: Australian musician.
• Sir Courtney Blackman: Barbadian economist and businessman.
• Courtney Burke: American hockey player.
• Courteney Cox: American actress.
• Courtney Dike: Nigerian football player.
• Courtney Force: American racecar driver.
• Courtney Hall: American football player.
• Courteney Thorne Smith: American actress.
• Courtney B. Vance: American actor.

Courtney in Popular Culture

Just as Courtney is a popular given name in real life, it’s also quite common in pop culture. Here’s a quick look at some of the most famous fictional Courtneys.

• Courtney Crimsen: Character in 13 Reasons Why.
• Courtney Farrell: Character in Chocolates for Breakfast.
• Courtney Gripling: A character from As Told By Ginger.
• Courtney A. Krieger: A character from the G.I. Joe toy line.
• Courtney Lane: Character in Spectacular.
• Courtney Matthews: Character in General Hospital.
• Courtney Rockcliffe: Character in The Sweetest Thing.
• Courtney Ross: A character in the Marvel comic universe.
• Courtney Whitmore: A character in the DC comic universe.

Courtney FAQs

Still have questions about the name Courtney? Here are the answers to a few common questions about this classic and common name.