Courtenay

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Courtenay

Gender: Masculine, Feminine
Language: English
Etymology:
Courtenay comes from a French surname, de Courtenay, which meant “Domain of Curtius,” (Curtius being a name which means “courteous”). It was also taken, in a pun, to mean “Short Nose,” from the French “court” (short) and “nez” (nose).

History:
Courtenay was the surname of an important Norman noble family during the Middle Ages. Peter of Courtenay (d. 1217) and his son Robert (d. 1228), were elected “emperor” of Constantinople during the Crusades.

During the 18th century a trend began for giving aristocratic surnames to children as first names. Courtenay was one of the early names so given.

Courtney, a variant of the name, is now fairly popular as a girls’ name.

Pronunciation: cort-nay.

Alternates (male): Courtnay, Courtenay.
French: Courtland.

Alternates (female): Courtny, Courtany, Cortney, Kortney, Kourtney.

See also: Courtney.

Famous Bearers:
Political Figures:
Peter of Courtenay (-1217)
An emperor of Constantinople.
Robert of Courtenay (-1228)
An emperor of Constantinople.

Religious Figures:
William Courtenay (1342-1396)
An archbishop of Canterbury.

Popularity:
Percentage from the 1990 U.S. Census:
less than 0.004 % named Courtenay