The first name Courtney
A girl’s name from Latin meaning “short”.
Pronounced /ˈkɔː(ɹ)tni/ 2 syllables Female Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Latin origin
Courtney means “short” in Latin.
Variant of Courtenay, an aristocratic Norman surname derived from place names in Normandy, from Latin Curtenus, a personal name from curtus (“short”).
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 12 girls were named Courtney, making it the 2,278th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 1998, with 3,251 births (#17).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Courtney with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Courtney at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 78 girls born in the United States were named Courtney, the 2,335th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1990, when 15,380 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Courtney in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named Courtney
49 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Courtney LoveAmerican rock musician (born 1964)
- Courtney Thorne-SmithAmerican actress, born 1967
- Courtney B. VanceAmerican actor, born 1960
- Courtney EatonAustralian actress and model (born 1996)
- Courtney LeeAmerican basketball player (born 1985)
- Courtney FordAmerican actress, born 1978
- Courtney FrerichsAmerican athletics competitor, born 1993
- Courtney OkoloAmerican athletics competitor, born 1994
- Courtney HenggelerAmerican actress, born 1978
- Courtney GainsAmerican actor, born 1965
- Courtney StoddenAmerican model, singer, songwriter, reality television personality, born 1994
- Courtney HurleyAmerican fencer, born 1990
More Latin girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Courtney mean?
- Courtney means “short” in Latin.
- What is the origin of the name Courtney?
- Variant of Courtenay, an aristocratic Norman surname derived from place names in Normandy, from Latin Curtenus, a personal name from curtus (“short”).
- How popular is the name Courtney?
- In 2025, 12 girls born in England and Wales were named Courtney, ranking 2,278th. Its peak was 1998, with 3,251 births.
- Is Courtney a boy's or a girl's name?
- Both. Of the 281,432 US babies named Courtney since 1880, 92% were girls and 8% boys.
- When was Courtney most popular?
- 1990 in the United States, when 15,380 babies were named Courtney, its highest rank at 17th.
- How do you pronounce Courtney?
- Courtney is /ˈkɔː(ɹ)tni/, 2 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Courtney?
- Cotney, Kourtney and Courteney.
- Is Courtney also a surname?
- Yes. Courtney is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.