Cortez
A Spanish surname most likely from a word meaning “courteous” or “courtly,” and also known as a spelling associated with the conqueror Cortés.
The #310 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 3,036 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Cortez is the Spanish form of a surname tied to the idea of courtesy or courtliness. It is usually connected with Old French courtois, ultimately from Latin cortis or cohors, referring to a court or enclosed estate, and by extension to refined behavior. In Spanish, the more common historical spelling is Cortés, with the accent mark marking stress; Cortez is a later variant spelling.
History
The spelling Cortez is especially familiar in the Spanish-speaking world and in the Americas, though it often appears as a variant of Cortés rather than a wholly separate name. English-language sources in the 19th and early 20th centuries frequently grouped Cortez with the famous conquistador Hernán Cortés, which helped spread the spelling. In the United States, the name is common enough to reflect both Hispanic inheritance and occasional anglicized spelling variation.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The spelling Cortez is often seen without the accent, even though the historically standard Spanish form is Cortés.
From the historical record
“Christopher Columbus, - Montezuma, - Manka, Capak, - Mama, Ozello, Cortez, Pedro Alvarado, De Leon, Sandoval, Francis Pizaryo, Valverde, Escobar, Ponce De Leon, Her- nando De Soto, Balboa, Ojeda, Iturbide, Antonio Lopez, Santa-ana, Juarez, Paredes, Miramon, Bustamente, Romero, Diaz, Cortina, Maximillian, Carlotta…”
— A Grammar of American Surnames