Curtis Surname

2,745th
Most Common
surname in the World

Approximately 203,547 people bear this surname

Most prevalent in:
United States
Highest density in:
Falkland Islands

Curtis Surname Definition:

This surname is derived from a nickname. 'the courteous,' one of courtly manners; Middle English curteys and corleys; Old French curttis. A popular surname from the 13th century downwards. It was perfectly natural that a sobriquet of this complimentary character should be retained where possible.

Read More About This Surname

Curtis Surname Distribution Map

PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
United States132,2481:2,741280
England32,8151:1,698196
Australia14,6251:1,846234
Canada8,6621:4,254573
New Zealand2,2931:1,975265
Wales2,0911:1,480138
Ireland1,7861:2,637490
South Africa1,1911:45,4895,813
Jamaica1,1391:2,520398
Bahamas8721:44996
Scotland7631:7,0171,079
France5111:129,98619,844
Brazil4211:508,49019,129
Liberia3101:14,2211,494
Northern Ireland2701:6,8331,207
Thailand2451:288,32049,635
Dominican Republic2391:43,6522,309
Saudi Arabia1991:155,05422,057
Germany1831:439,92139,335
Spain1781:262,65216,524
Moldova1711:20,8273,525
Italy1671:366,20842,634
Israel1361:62,9247,935
Guinea1161:102,016849
Philippines1101:920,34782,471
India941:8,160,270170,569
Argentina891:480,26335,686
Nigeria851:2,084,03272,421
Russia771:1,871,728119,355
Denmark761:74,2737,314
Mexico701:1,773,23217,696
Jersey641:1,550220
Nicaragua641:94,0801,835
Bermuda631:1,036166
Singapore601:91,7953,674
Venezuela601:503,4019,605
Belgium511:225,42428,627
Costa Rica481:99,5851,699
Portugal471:221,6658,706
Switzerland471:174,74315,901
Malaysia441:670,32331,889
Zimbabwe441:350,86933,247
Sweden391:252,48117,476
Norway361:142,84118,058
Isle of Man341:2,524513
Chile301:587,21614,299
Kuwait291:131,05814,967
Senegal291:502,7362,173
China241:56,971,7323,099
Panama241:163,0115,136
Ecuador231:691,55912,337
Guernsey221:2,929767
Lebanon211:268,4339,626
Colombia191:2,514,42513,479
Honduras171:518,6143,437
United States Virgin Islands171:6,493987
Gibraltar161:2,122483
Iceland161:23,7561,850
Trinidad and Tobago151:90,9326,341
Indonesia141:9,446,371356,066
Czechia131:817,95970,223
Hong Kong131:564,2683,428
Ivory Coast131:1,774,71034,235
Tanzania121:4,411,80154,433
Netherlands111:1,535,19878,311
Japan101:12,784,42945,945
Kenya101:4,617,99042,693
Barbados91:31,9391,516
Guyana91:84,6916,279
Morocco91:3,830,67854,497
Swaziland91:144,244719
Peru81:3,973,01532,693
Austria71:1,216,49180,919
Falkland Islands71:44788
Greece71:1,582,82788,377
Anguilla61:2,239218
Antigua and Barbuda61:16,5281,436
Kazakhstan61:2,947,083107,736
Qatar61:393,00055,922
Ghana51:5,404,13815,377
Namibia51:481,88011,140
Pakistan51:35,728,777102,388
Poland51:7,601,750167,855
Turkey51:15,564,284149,633
Belarus41:2,375,265105,497
Bulgaria41:1,744,72646,837
Fiji41:223,5982,635
Iraq41:8,755,41423,373
Malta41:107,5681,849
Papua New Guinea41:2,038,429140,827
Sudan41:9,377,5498,207
United Arab Emirates41:2,290,56860,372
Cameroon31:6,923,023143,724
Egypt31:30,645,251132,600
Hungary31:3,272,09262,568
Laos31:2,196,1081,879
Serbia31:2,381,64930,913
Togo31:2,415,92311,978
Uganda31:13,013,093160,157
Albania21:1,457,02824,967
Benin21:5,167,80184,334
El Salvador21:3,171,9446,376
South Korea21:25,620,1284,175
Taiwan21:11,722,37363,559
Uruguay21:1,715,87935,955
Vietnam21:46,323,0275,235
Afghanistan11:32,153,18360,828
Algeria11:38,631,551130,422
Aruba11:103,4772,586
Azerbaijan11:9,649,12247,873
Bahrain11:1,348,60810,432
Bolivia11:10,616,43417,077
Botswana11:2,186,92930,250
British Virgin Islands11:31,5941,029
Cuba11:11,522,71617,380
Curaçao11:157,2471,313
Cyprus11:884,87613,055
Finland11:5,496,70284,025
Georgia11:3,745,54547,852
Guatemala11:16,082,66812,169
Haiti11:10,683,90724,607
Jordan11:8,842,43726,010
Lesotho11:2,032,55823,402
Libya11:6,243,9746,186
Lithuania11:3,034,58847,401
North Macedonia11:2,101,47231,546
Mali11:16,969,0354,067
Mauritius11:1,293,41716,552
Monaco11:37,0664,748
Mozambique11:27,261,5697,432
Nepal11:28,480,95622,413
Romania11:20,077,87089,414
Saint Kitts and Nevis11:55,1991,294
Samoa11:193,8081,089
Slovakia11:5,336,450140,422
Slovenia11:2,487,67531,128
Solomon Islands11:580,02922,243
Ukraine11:45,522,696503,646
Uzbekistan11:30,929,14267,786
Vanuatu11:263,2762,086
Zambia11:15,849,92253,989
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
Ireland8571:5,169866
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
England16,3801:1,488182
Wales4411:3,556238
Scotland1551:24,1502,237
Jersey151:3,459578
Isle of Man71:7,753762
Guernsey61:5,443949
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
United States28,6701:1,752179

The alternate forms: Çurtis (1) & Curtís (1) are calculated separately.

Curtis (285,878) may also be a first name.

Curtis Surname Meaning

From Where Does The Surname Originate? meaning and history

This surname is derived from a nickname. 'the courteous,' one of courtly manners; Middle English curteys and corleys; Old French curttis. A popular surname from the 13th century downwards. It was perfectly natural that a sobriquet of this complimentary character should be retained where possible. 'Curteyse, urbanus': Promptorium Parvulorum.

Richard Curtayse, Northumberland, Henry III-Edward. I: Testa de Nevill, sive Liber Feodorum, temp. Henry III-Edward I.

Robert Courteys, Somerset, 1 Edward III: Kirby's Quest.

William le Curteis, Cambridgeshire, 1273. Hundred Rolls.

Walter Curteys, Oxfordshire, ibid.

Osbert le Curteys, Essex, ibid.

Henry Corteys, Devon, ibid.

Richard le Corteys, Oxfordshire, ibid.

Adam Curtase, 1379: Poll Tax of Yorkshire.

Johannes Cartas, 1379: ibid.

1550. William Curteys and Margery Baynerd: Marriage Lic. (London).

1569. Baptised — Elizabeth, d. Thomas Curtys: St. James, Clerkenwell.

1718. Married — James Curtis and Priscilla Brathwaite: St. Michael, Cornhill.

A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames (1896) by Charles Wareing Endell Bardsley

(A. - French - Latin) Courteous, Polished [Middle English curteys, curteis, Old French curteis, corteis (French courtois), Low Latin curtensis, cortensis; Latin cors, coitis, a court] William le Curteis.—Hundred Rolls Richard le Curteis.—Close Rolls.

And called Caton, his knave, Curteis of speche.—Piers Plowman, 2109-10.

Til that dore of thilk [that] entre A mayden curteys openyde me.— Chaucer, Rom. of the Rose, 537-8.

Surnames of the United Kingdom (1912) by Henry Harrison

Though gaelicized de Cuirtéis, this name in Ireland since the thirteenth century is the Norman le Curteis, i.e. the well educated man. MIF 281*

A Guide to Irish Names (1964) by Edward MacLysaght

“Courteous” in Old English.

South African Surnames (1965) by Eric Rosenthal

(English) One with court-like, or elegant, manners, well bred.

Dictionary of American Family Names (1956) by Elsdon Coles Smith

Norman French curteis, curtois. Civil, courteous. See English Surn. i. 143.

Patronymica Britannica (1860) by Mark Antony Lower

An abbreviation of courteous. It may be from Curthose, a name given for wearing short hose, as the name Curtmantle was given to Henry the Second of England, from his introducing the fashion of wearing shorter mantles than had been previously used.

An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names (1857) by William Arthur

William de Curtis was of Normandy, 1180 (Mag. Rot. Scac.); Robert Curteis gave lands to Gloucester Abbey, t. Rufus (Mon. i. 111); William le Curteis, t. Henry II., was a benefactor to West Dereham Abbey, Norfolk (Mon. ii.).

The Norman People (1874)

(English), Curteis (Anglo-Norman), Courtois (French), Cortese (Italian), Courteous. There is a somewhat similar name in Holland,— Donker Curtius, Dark Curtius; but this is probably the Latin, Short. There is also a village in Normandy called Les Courtis; i. e., The Gardens.

Surnames (1857) by Bernard Homer Dixon

From the Danish, Curdts; from the Dutch, Koerdes; from the French, Courtois; a personal name.

British Family Names: Their Origin and Meaning (1903) by Henry Barber

Curtis. —Characteristic of the south, and east of England south of the Humber. Best represented in Bucks, and afterwards in Notts. This is an ancient English name, occurring, as it does now, in Bucks, Essex, and Lincolnshire in the reign of Edward I.; it was also at that time numerous in Cambridgeshire and Hunts (Hundred Rolls).

Homes of Family Names in Great Britain (1890) by Henry Brougham Guppy

Curtis Last Name Facts

Where Does The Last Name Curtis Come From? nationality or country of origin

Curtis (Arabic: كورتس, Oriya: କଟିର୍ସ) occurs most in The United States. It can also be found as a variant: Çurtis or Curtís. For other potential spellings of this last name click here.

How Common Is The Last Name Curtis? popularity and diffusion

This last name is the 2,745th most widely held last name throughout the world, held by around 1 in 35,803 people. The last name Curtis occurs predominantly in The Americas, where 65 percent of Curtis reside; 64 percent reside in North America and 64 percent reside in Anglo-North America. It is also the 3,678th most commonly held first name in the world. It is borne by 285,878 people.

Curtis is most frequently occurring in The United States, where it is carried by 132,248 people, or 1 in 2,741. In The United States it is most common in: Texas, where 7 percent live, Michigan, where 5 percent live and Florida, where 5 percent live. Aside from The United States it occurs in 140 countries. It is also common in England, where 16 percent live and Australia, where 7 percent live.

Curtis Family Population Trend historical fluctuation

The frequency of Curtis has changed over time. In The United States the number of people bearing the Curtis surname grew 461 percent between 1880 and 2014; in England it grew 200 percent between 1881 and 2014; in Wales it grew 474 percent between 1881 and 2014; in Ireland it grew 208 percent between 1901 and 2014 and in Scotland it grew 492 percent between 1881 and 2014.

Curtis Last Name Statistics demography

The religious adherence of those carrying the Curtis surname is chiefly Catholic (84%) in Ireland, Orthodox (60%) in Russia, Christian (100%) in Kenya and Greek Orthodox (90%) in Lebanon.

In The United States those bearing the Curtis surname are 10.68% more likely to be registered with the Republican Party than the national average, with 57.45% registered to vote for the party.

The amount Curtis earn in different countries varies greatly. In Italy they earn 6.53% more than the national average, earning €31,991 per year; in Norway they earn 3.22% less than the national average, earning 334,926 kr per year; in Peru they earn 27.52% less than the national average, earning S/. 14,051 per year; in South Africa they earn 110.08% more than the national average, earning R 499,236 per year; in Colombia they earn 10.68% less than the national average, earning $20,277,400 COP per year; in United States they earn 1.09% less than the national average, earning $42,677 USD per year and in Canada they earn 1.86% more than the national average, earning $50,606 CAD per year.

Phonetically Similar Names

SurnameSimilarityWorldwide IncidencePrevalency
Çurtis941/
Curtís941/
Curtiss928,066/
Courtis92842/
Curteis92237/
Curties92160/
Curtois9282/
Scurtis9228/
Curtise929/
Curttis928/
Cusrtis923/
Curthis922/
Churtis922/
Curtish921/
Curtisz921/
Curtizs921/
Gcurtis921/
Curtios920/
Ceurtis920/
Curtist920/
Curti9117,696/
Courtois8625,242/
Courtais86605/
Courties86274/
Scourtis8665/
Courtiss869/
Courtios867/
Chourtis862/
Ceurtois861/
Courtish860/
Courteis860/
Ccurtiss860/
Cortis831,949/
Kurtis83848/
Courti83230/
Curtui83183/
Curtti83155/
Curtes83133/
Curtit8394/
Curtiz8390/
Curtio8378/
Ckurti8356/
Curtid8310/
Curtic837/
Curtys837/
Curtie836/
Curtih835/
Surtis832/
Caurti832/
Curthi831/
Zurtis831/
Curtip830/
Courtisse8030/
Courtoise8028/
Curtisová805/
Ccourtois801/
Coujrtois801/
Kourtis773,419/
Curtice771,198/
Courtes77940/
Courtie77176/
Cortois77123/
Kurtish77106/
Kurtiss77106/
Churtes7758/
Courtès7749/
Corteis7744/
Kurtgis7743/
Curtess7732/
Sourtis7728/
Curtoys7722/
Cortiss7719/
Courtai7717/
Kurtisz7713/
Curttie7711/
Kurtais779/
Courtys777/
Courtoi776/
Curtich776/
Corttis775/
Curtese773/
Curttes773/
Surties772/
Kurtišs772/
Corties771/
Caurtic771/
Courtés771/
Curtets771/
Cortais771/
Keurtis771/
Surtiss770/
Curtees770/
Curteys770/
Surteis770/
Courtisová753/
Curtissová751/
Corti7333,850/
Kurti7319,170/
Curty734,034/
Curta731,579/
Curte73199/
Curtj731/
Courteix71806/
Courtice71427/
Curthoys71310/
Tsourtis71131/
Courthes7141/
Giourtis7136/
Giaurtis7116/
Courtoys715/
Kurtisch712/
Kurthuis711/
Courtaix711/
Kourtios711/
Zgurtisz711/
Courtese711/
Courtoit711/
Courtoiz711/
Corthais711/
Curttoys710/
Caurthes710/
Cortes67838,977/
Courty673,972/
Kourti671,848/
Curtet671,831/
Courte671,304/
Kurtti671,125/
Kurthi67944/
Kurtiş67383/
Cortiz67301/
Kurtic67299/
Kortis67269/
Kurtiš67247/
Kurtys67211/
Cortti67175/
Cortie67155/
Cortès67155/
Kurtyi67126/
Curtay6799/
Kurtes6793/
Kurtei6784/
Courta6754/
Cheurthai6754/
Curter6738/
Courté6735/
Kurtiz6727/
Kaurti6726/
Kurtiç6724/
Curtez6723/
Kkurti6720/
Kurtai6717/
Kurtio6715/
Curtoy6715/
Córtes6710/
Kurtič679/
Surtes678/
Keurti677/
Khurti676/
Kurtisova675/
Kurtiy674/
Kurrti674/
Cortei673/
Curtty673/
Ceurty672/
Currte672/
Curtea672/
Curthy672/
Kurtie671/
Kurtii671/
Cortys671/
Courttest671/
Zortis671/
Courtè671/
Courtheix671/
Kurtisová671/
Córtés671/
Courthoys671/
Cortoi671/
Kujrti671/
Kutrti671/
Curtey670/

Curtis Name Transliterations

TransliterationICU LatinPercentage of Incidence
Curtis in the Oriya language
କଟିର୍ସkatirsa61.9
କଟିସkatisa19.05
କଟୀସkatisa9.52
କଟିର୍ସ୍katirs4.76
କଟିସ୍katis4.76
Curtis in the Arabic language
كورتسkwrts-
كرتيسkrtys-
كورتيسkwrtys-

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Curtis Reference & Research

Curtis-Curtiss FamilyTree DNA Group - A group collating DNA test results for those who bear the surname, includes results of DNA tests and discussions.

Curtis-Curtiss FamilyTree DNA Project - A description of a group researching the paternal lines of men who bear the surname with the help of DNA analysis.

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Footnotes

  • Surnames are taken as the first part of an person's inherited family name, caste, clan name or in some cases patronymic
  • Descriptions may contain details on the name's etymology, origin, ethnicity and history. They are largely reproduced from 3rd party sources; diligence is advised on accepting their validity - more information
  • Name distribution statistics are generated from a global database of over 4 billion people - more information
  • Heatmap: Dark red means there is a higher occurrence of the name, transitioning to light yellow signifies a progressively lower occurrence. Clicking on selected countries will show mapping at a regional level
  • Rank: Name are ranked by incidence using the ordinal ranking method; the name that occurs the most is assigned a rank of 1; name that occur less frequently receive an incremented rank; if two or more name occur the same number of times they are assigned the same rank and successive rank is incremented by the total preceeding names
  • Ethnic group cannot necessarily be determined by geographic occurrence
  • Similar: Names listed in the "Similar" section are phonetically similar and may not have any relation to Curtis
  • To find out more about this surname's family history, lookup records on Family​Search, My​Heritage, FindMyPast and Ancestry. Further information may be obtained by DNA analysis