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Cortez is a Spanish and Portuguese surname derived from Old French Corteis or Curteis, commonly considered a variation of Cortés, meaning “courteous” or “polite”. This descriptive surname was most likely given as a nickname to a well-bred man, who was considered refined, respectful, attentive, or elegant. The Spanish surname Cortez is equivalent to the English surname Curtis.
Cortés can also be a geographic or habitation name of any of the many places in Spain and Portugal called Cortes, the plural of corte, meaning “a court of a king or sovereign.”
Interesting facts about the last name Cortez
- The Hispanic surname Cortez is the 64th most common.
- Origin of surname: Spanish, Portuguese.
- Alternate surname spellings: CORTÉS, CORTEZ, COURTOIS, COURTES, CURTIS.
Famous people with the last name Cortez or equivalent
Hernán Cortés: Spanish conqueror of the Aztec empire and governor of New Spain (later to become Mexico) from 1521 to 1528.
Alfonso Cortés: renowned Nicaraguan poet.
Gregorio Cortez – A Mexican-American folk hero to Mexicans in the American Old West.
Tony Curtis : American film actor.
Where do people with the last name Cortez live?
Surname distribution data in the specialized Forebears database ranks Cortez as the 984th most common surname in the world, identifying it as the most frequent in the Philippines and with the highest density in El Salvador. The spelling form Cortés is most popular worldwide, ranking at 697. Cortés is found with the highest prevalence in Mexico and in the highest percentage of the population in Chile. According to the WorldNames PublicProfiler website , Cortés is also the spelling now most commonly found in Spain, especially in the Extremadura region along the border with Portugal.
Cortez Surname Genealogy Resources
The 100 most common Hispanic surnames and their meanings: García, Martínez, Rodríguez, López, Hernández, Pérez… Are you one of the millions of people who sport one of these 100 most common Hispanic surnames?
How to Research Hispanic Heritage from Our Origins – Learn how to begin researching your Hispanic ancestors, including the basics of family tree research and country-specific organizations, genealogy records, and resources for Spain, Latin America, Mexico, Brazil, the Caribbean and other Spanish-speaking countries.
The Cortez Family Coat of Arms: Contrary to what you may hear, there is no specific Cortez family emblem or coat of arms for this surname. Coats of arms are granted to individuals, not families, and may only be legitimately used by the unbroken male-line descendants of the person to whom the coat of arms was originally granted.
The genealogy of Hernán Cortés: there is a basic outline of the genealogy of some descendants of the famous Spanish conquistador Don Hernando Cortés.
Archival Records on the Web – The GeneaNet website includes archival records, family trees, and other resources for individuals with the surname Cortez, with a focus on records and families from France, Spain, and other European countries.
The Cortez Family Genealogy Forums: Search this popular genealogy forum for the Cortez surname to find others who may be researching your ancestors, or post your own Cortez query.
FamilySearch CORTEZ Genealogy Website: Access more than 1.8 million free published historical records and lineage-linked family trees for the surname Cortez and its variations on this free genealogy website hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Saints of the Last Days.
The Cortez Family and Family Tree Web Page: You can explore family trees and links to genealogy and historical records for individuals with the last name Cortez on the Genealogy Today website.
Sources:
- Cottle, Basil . Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, M.D.: Penguin Books, 1967 .
- Dorward, David. Scottish surnames . Collins Celtic (pocket edition), 1998.
- Fucilla, Joseph. Our Italian surnames . Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003.
- Hanks, Patrick, and Flavia Hodges. A dictionary of surnames . Oxford University Press, 1989.
- Hanks, Patrick. Dictionary of American Surnames . Oxford University Press, 2003.
- Reaney, P.H. A Dictionary of English Surnames . Oxford University Press, 1997.
- Smith, Elsdon C. American Surnames . Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.
