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Courtney

♂ Boy

Pronounced KORT-nee /ˈkɔːrt.ni/High

Meaning: From the Norman French surname de Courtenay, meaning 'from Courtenay' (a place in Loiret, France); the place name may derive from a personal name Curtinus or from Old French court nez meaning 'short nose'High

In 30 seconds: Courtney is a Norman French surname meaning from Courtenay, an aristocratic family name that became a boys given name in England and the U.S. By the late 20th century it had shifted to primarily feminine use, though it began as a male name.
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Origin HighOld French, Norman French
MeaningFrom the Norman French surname de Courtenay, meaning 'from Courtenay' (a place in Loiret, France); the place name may derive from a personal name Curtinus or from Old French court nez meaning 'short nose'
U.S. rank (2024)#3162 ↗ Rising
2024 U.S. births38 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year1980
Total births (all-time)≈ 22,996

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 198018842024

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

History & Origin

Courtney derives from the Norman de Courtenay family, one of the great aristocratic houses of medieval Europe with branches in both France and England. The Courtenay family were earls of Devon and had connections to Byzantine royalty. The name passed into English use as a surname and then, in the 19th century, as a given name for boys.

In the U.S., Courtney was used for boys through the mid-20th century. It began its shift to feminine use in the 1970s, and by the 1990s — boosted partly by celebrity Courtney Love and the character Courtney on various TV shows — it was nearly exclusively female. Today its use for boys is rare but notable as a historical masculine name.

Did you know? Before Courtney became associated with girls in the 1980s and 90s, it was primarily a boys name in the United States. The shift is a textbook example of a phenomenon linguists call feminization — when a name crosses gender and becomes predominantly feminine, boys with the name often abandon it.
Overall data confidence 88%
Behind the Name — Courtney — Norman de Courtenay surname etymologyU.S. SSA Baby Names — Historical shift from male to female use

Variations

KortneyCourtenayCortney

Nicknames

CourtCort

Famous Bearers

  • ★Courtney Walsh (1962–present)
    Jamaican former West Indies cricketer regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers in history, the first bowler to reach 500 Test wickets, finishing with 519.

If you like Courtney…

Courtland— shares the Court- origin and parallel Norman French heritage
Cornwall— shares the aristocratic British place-name heritage
Rodney— fellow Norman-origin surname-as-first-name that has read masculine
Bentley— fellow aristocratic English surname-origin boys name with -ley ending

Frequently Asked

What does the name Courtney mean?

Courtney means from Courtenay, a Norman French aristocratic surname and place name in France.

How do you pronounce Courtney?

It is said KORT-nee, with two syllables and stress on the first.

Is Courtney a boy or girl name?

Courtney began as a boy's name but shifted to primarily feminine use by the 1990s. It remains listed here as a masculine name.

How popular is Courtney as a boy's name?

Courtney is now rare for boys in the U.S. but was used for men historically; cricketer Courtney Walsh is a prominent male bearer.