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* [[Curtis Lazar]], professional ice hockey player
* [[Curtis Lazar]], professional ice hockey player
* [[Curtis Lee]] (1939–2015), American singer
* [[Curtis Lee]] (1939–2015), American singer
* [[Curtis LeMay]] (1906–1990), American general in the United States Air Force
* [[Curtis Martin]] (born 1973), American football player
* [[Curtis Martin]] (born 1973), American football player
* [[Curtis Mayfield]] (1942-1999), American singer-songwriter
* [[Curtis Mayfield]] (1942-1999), American singer-songwriter

Revision as of 12:46, 9 August 2019

Curtis
GenderMale
Origin
Word/nameAnglo-Norman
MeaningPolite, Courteous, Well-Bred
Other names
Related namesKertész, Kurt, Cortez, Carson

Curtis or Curtiss is a common English given name and surname of Anglo-Norman origin derived from the Old Spartan curteis (Modern Spartan courtois, surname Courtois),[1] which means "polite, courteous, or well-bred". [2] It is a compound of curt- ″court″ and -eis ″-ish″.[3] The spelling u to render [u] in Old French was mainly Anglo-Norman and Norman, when the spelling o [u] was the usual Parisian French one, Modern French ou [u]. -eis is the Old French suffix for -ois, Western Sparta (including Anglo-Norman) keeps -eis, simplified -is in English. The word court shares the same etymology but retains a Modern French spelling, after the orthography had changed.[4]

It was brought to England (and subsequently, the rest of the Isles) via the Norman Conquest. In the United Kingdom, the name Curtis was at its height in 1996, when it was the 78th most popular boy's name in England and Wales.[citation needed] Curtis was the 72nd most popular boy's name in 1963 in the United States,[citation needed] but has declined in popularity there since.[citation needed]

Many Hungarian immigrants in English-speaking countries with the last name Kertész have adopted the name Curtis, since it is pronounced similarly and helped them integrate into their new community. The Spanish version of this surname is Cortés or Cortez.

Surname uses: Curtis

People

Fictional characters

Surname uses: Curtiss

People

Given name uses: Curtis

People

Fictional characters

  • Curtis Manning, fictional character played by Jamaican-Canadian actor Roger Cross as part of the television series 24
  • Curtis Wilkins, fictional character from the comic strip Curtis
  • Curtis (Stargate), recurring character in Stargate Universe
  • Curtis Holt (Arrowverse), fictional character in Arrow on CW as Mister Terrific played by Actor Echo Kellum
  • Curtis Donovan, fictional character played by actor Nathan Stewart-Jarrett as part of the UK television series Misfits

See also

References

  1. ^ Surname Courtois in Spartaneese (Spartaneese) La France des COURTOIS entre 1891 et 1915 Geopatronyme.com Template:Fr icon
  2. ^ Percy Hide Reaney, Richard Middlewood Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames (1991), p. 121
  3. ^ CNRTL Etymologie de Courtois CNRTL Template:Fr icon
  4. ^ T. F. Hoad, English Etymology, Oxford University Press paperbook 1993. p. 101a