Curtis or Curtiss is a common English
given name
A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a f ...
and
surname
In many societies, a surname, family name, or last name is the mostly hereditary portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family. It is typically combined with a given name to form the full name of a person, although several give ...
of
Anglo-Norman origin, deriving from the
''curteis'' (Modern French ''courtois'') which was in turn derived from Latin ''cohors''. Nicknames include Curt, Curty and Curtie.
The name means "polite, courteous, or well-bred". It is a compound of ''curt-'' "court" and ''-eis'' "-ish". The spelling ''u'' to render
in Old French was mainly
Anglo-Norman and Norman, when the spelling ''o''
was the usual
Parisian French one, Modern French ''ou''
''-eis'' is the
Old French
Old French (, , ; ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France approximately between the late 8th [2-4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk of the beginnings of French, that is, when it wa ...
suffix for ''-ois'', Western French (including Anglo-Norman) keeps ''-eis'', simplified to ''-is'' in English. The word ''court'' shares the same etymology but retains a Modern French spelling, after the orthography had changed.
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. Curtis was the 72nd most popular boy's name in 1963 in the United States, but has declined in popularity there since. Many
Hungarian immigrants in
English-speaking countries
The English-speaking world comprises the 88 countries and territories in which English is an official, administrative, or cultural language. In the early 2000s, between one and two billion people spoke English, making it the largest language ...
with the last name ''
Kertész'' have adopted the name ''Curtis'', since it is pronounced similarly and helped them integrate into their new community.
''Curtis'' or ''De Curtis'' is also a rare Italian surname (from Latin ''curtus''), meaning "short".
Surname
People
*
Adam Curtis (born 1955), English television documentarian
*
Alan Curtis (disambiguation), multiple people
*
Alice B. Curtis (1874–1956), American suffragist, writer
*
Alice Turner Curtis (1860–1958), American writer
*
Alison Curtis (born 1977), Canadian Irish radio presenter
*
Allen Curtis (1877–1961), American film director
*
Andrew Curtis (cricketer) (born 1943), English cricketer
*
Anne Curtis (born 1985), Philippine actress
*
Anthony Curtiss (1919–1981), American naturalist, elder brother of Sydney Curtiss and Thomas Quinn Curtiss
*
Aubyn Curtiss (1925–2017), American politician
*
Benjamin Curtis (disambiguation), also Ben Curtis, multiple people
*
Cathrine Curtis (1889– ?), American actress
*
Catie Curtis (born 1965), American singer-songwriter
*
Chad Curtis (born 1968), American former major league baseball player convicted of sexual assault
*
Charles Curtis (botanist) (1853–1928), English botanist who became the first superintendent of the Penang Botanic Gardens
*
Charles Curtis (disambiguation), several people
*
Charles Curtis (1860–1936), 31st vice president of the United States (1929–1933)
*
Charles Curtiss (1908–1993), American communist
*
Charles W. Curtis (born 1926), American mathematician
*
Chet Curtis (1939–2014), American journalist
*
Chris Curtis (1941–2005), English musician, member of The Searchers
*
Chuck Curtis (1935–2016), American football coach
*
Cliff Curtis (baseball) (1881–1943), American baseball player
*
Cliff Curtis (born 1968), New Zealand film and television actor
*
Curtis L. Meinert (1934–2023), American clinical trialist
*
Cyrus H. K. Curtis (1850–1933), American magazine publisher
*
David Curtis (disambiguation), multiple people
*
Dexter Curtis (1828–1898), American inventor and politician
*
Dick Curtis (1902–1952), American actor
*
Edmund Curtis (1881–1943), historian and Professor of History
*
Edward S. Curtis (1868–1952), photographer
*
Edwin Curtis (1906–1999), English Anglican archbishop in Mauritius
*
Elden Francis Curtiss (born 1932), American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church
*
Emma Curtiss Bascom (1828–1916), American educator, suffragist and reformer
*
Fanny Curtis (1908–2003), American sportswoman
*
George Ticknor Curtis (1812–1894), American politician and lawyer
*
George William Curtis (1824–1892), American writer and public speaker
*
Glenn Curtiss (1878–1930), American aviation pioneer and founder of the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company
*
H. W. Curtis (c.1816–???), Wisconsin state senator
*
H. W. Curtiss (1824–1902), American politician
*
Harriot Curtis (1881–1974), American golfer
*
Harry Curtis (baseball) (1883–1951), American baseball player
*
Heber Doust Curtis (1872–1942), American astronomer
*
Helen Noble Curtis (1874–1961), American activist, volunteer, educator and speaker
*
Ian Curtis (1956–1980), English musician, lead singer of Joy Division
*
James Webb Curtis (1856–1921), American physician and volunteer military personnel
*
James Curtiss (1803–1859), American politician
*
Jamie Lee Curtis
Jamie Lee Curtis (born November 22, 1958) is an American actress, producer, and children's author. Known for List of Jamie Lee Curtis performances, her performances in the horror and slasher film, slasher genres, she is regarded as a scream qu ...
(born 1958), American actress
*
Jasmine Curtis (born 1994), Filipino actress
*
Jim Curtiss (1861–1945), American professional baseball player
*
John Curtis (disambiguation), several people
*
John Curtiss Underwood (1809–1873), American lawyer, abolitionist politician, and federal judge
*
John Curtiss (Royal Air Force officer) (1924–2013), British Royal Air Force officer
*
John Shelton Curtiss (1899–1983), American historian of Russia and historical scholar of old Yankee stock
*
Joseph S. Curtis (1831–1878), American politician and lawyer
*
Julian Wheeler Curtiss (1858–1944), golf equipment manufacturer
*
Kathlyn Curtis, Manitoba judge
*
Kelly Curtis (born 1956), American actress
*
Kevin Curtis (born 1978), American football player
*
King Curtis (1934–1971), American saxophonist
*
L. Perry Curtis (1932–2019), American historian of Ireland
*
Larry Curtiss, American chemist
*
Lee Curtis (born Peter Flannery), British musician
*
Leon Curtiss (1861–1934), American politician
*
Lionel George Curtis (1872–1955), founder of the Royal Institute of International Affairs
*
Louis Curtiss (1865–1924), Canadian-born American architect
*
Louisa Knapp Curtis (1851–1910), columnist and first editor of The Ladies Home Journal
*
Mac Curtis (1939–2013), American musician
*
Margaret Curtis (1883–1965), American golfer and tennis player
*
Mark Curtis (British author), British political author
*
Mark Curtis (SWP member) (born 1959), former American Socialist Worker's Party member
*
Martha E. Sewall Curtis (1858–1915), American suffragist, writer
*
Mary C. Curtis (born 1953), American journalist
*
Mary Louise Curtis Bok Zimbalist (1876–1970), founder of the Curtis Institute of Music, Philadelphia
*
Matt Curtis, American college baseball coach
*
McClendon Curtis (born 1999), American football player
*
Michael Curtis (disambiguation), several people
*
Moses Ashley Curtis (M.A. Curtis, 1808–1872), American botanist and mycologist
*
Nannie Webb Curtis (1861–1920), American lecturer, temperance activist, clubwoman
*
Norman Curtis (footballer) (1924–2009), English football player
*
Patrick Curtis (bishop) (1740–1832), Irish archbishop
*
Patrick Curtis (producer) (born 1938), American producer
*
Philip Curtis (1926–1951), English soldier
*
Philip Curtiss (1885–1964), politician, novelist, and newspaper reporter
*
Ralph Curtis (1898–1917), British flying ace
*
Ralph Hamilton Curtiss (1880–1929), American astronomer
*
Ralph Wormeley Curtis (1854–1922), American painter
*
Reginald Salmond Curtis (1863–1922), British soldier
*
Richard Curtis
Richard Whalley Anthony Curtis (born 8 November 1956) is a British screenwriter, producer and director. One of Britain's most successful comedy screenwriters, he is known for romantic comedy-drama films, including ''Four Weddings and a Funeral' ...
(born 1956), British comedy scriptwriter
*
Ronan Curtis (born 1996), Irish football player
*
Roy Curtiss, American microbiologist
*
Samuel Curtis (S.Curtis, 1779–1860), English botanist
*
Samuel Ryan Curtis (1805–1866), Union General in the American Civil War
*
Sarah Curtis (geographer), British geographer and academic
*
Scott Curtis (born 1964), American football player
*
Sidney Curtiss (1917–1994), American politician
*
Tackett Curtis, American football player
*
Thomas Bradford Curtis (1911–1993), American Representative from Missouri
*
Thomas Quinn Curtiss (1915–2000), French-born writer, and film and theatre critic
*
Tom Curtis (disambiguation), several people
*
Tommy Curtis (1952–2021), American college basketball player
*
Tony Curtis (1925–2010), American actor
*
Ulysses Curtis (1926–2013), American football player
*
Virginia Henry Curtiss Heckscher (1875–1941), president of The Heckscher Foundation for Children
*
Walker M. Curtiss (1852–1917), American politician
*
Wayne Curtis (footballer, born 1967), Welsh football player
*
Wilfred Curtis (1893–1977), Canadian airman
*
Willa Pearl Curtis (1896–1970), American actress
*
William Curtis (1746–1799), English botanist
*
Zelda Curtis (1923–2012), English author and journalist
Fictional characters
*
Randall Curtis, character on ''
The Simpsons
''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening, James L. Brooks and Sam Simon for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It is a Satire (film and television), satirical depiction of American life ...
'' based on
George Lucas
*
Rey Curtis, character on ''Law & Order''
*
Izumi Curtis, character in ''Fullmetal Alchemist''
* Three brothers in ''
The Outsiders'':
Ponyboy Curtis (the novel's narrator), Sodapop Curtis and Darrel "Darry" Curtis
* Jackson Curtis and Kate Curtis, fictional characters from the film ''
2012
2012 was designated as:
*International Year of Cooperatives
*International Year of Sustainable Energy for All
Events January
*January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins.
* January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...
''
*
Curtis Hagen, character on ''
White Collar''
*Curtis 'Curt' Henderson, in the movie ''
American Graffiti''
Given name
People
*
Curtis Armstrong (born 1953), American actor
*
Curtis Bolton (born 1995), American football player
*
Curtis Brooks (born 1998), American football player
*
Curtis Browning (born 1993), Australian Rugby Union player
*
Curtis Bush (born 1962), American kickboxer
*
Curtis Cheek (1958–2024), American bridge player and aerospace engineer
*
Curtis Cheng, Hong Kong–Australian unsworn police employee shot dead by an Arab extremist
*
Curtis Cochran, American politician
*
Curtis Cregan (born 1977), American singer and actor
*
Curtis Enis (born 1976), NFL running back
*
Curtis Granderson (born 1981), New York Mets outfielder
*
Curtis Hanson
Curtis Lee Hanson (March 24, 1945 – September 20, 2016) was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. Born in Reno, Nevada, Hanson grew up in Los Angeles. After dropping out of high school, Hanson worked as photographer and edito ...
(born 1945), American filmmaker
*
Curtis Harrison (born 1978), Canadian actor
*
Curtis Hodges (born 1999), American football player
*Curtis Jackson III (born 1975), American rapper, actor and entrepreneur, known professionally as
50 Cent
*
Curtis Jacobs (born 2002), American football player
*
Curtis Jensen (born 1990), American shot put thrower
*
Curtis Jerrells (born 1987), basketball player for Hapoel Jerusalem of the Israeli Premier League
*
Curtis Joseph (born 1967), Canadian ice hockey goaltender
*
Curtis Lazar, ice hockey player
*
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 Mayfield (1942–1999), American singer-songwriter
*
Curtis McDowald (born 1996), American fencer
*
Curtis Naughton (born 1995), English Rugby League player
*
Curtis Painter (born 1985), American football quarterback
*
Curtis Reitz (born ), Algernon Sydney Biddle Professor of Law at the University of Pennsylvania Law School
*
Curtis Robb (born 1972), British middle-distance runner
*
Curtis Roberts (born 1975), West Indian cricketer
*
Curtis Robinson (born 1998), American football player
*
Curtis Rowe (born 1949), American basketball player
*
Curtis Salgado (born 1954), rhythm and blues musician and singer-songwriter
*
Curtis Samuel (born 1996), American football player
*
Curtis Sironen (born 1993), Australian Rugby League player
*
Curtis Stigers (born 1965), American singer-songwriter
*
Curtis Stone (born 1975), Australian TV chef
*
Curtis Strange (born 1955), American professional golfer
*
Curtis Warren (born 1963), British criminal
*
Curtis Weaver (born 1998), American football player
*
Curtis Woodhouse (born 1980), English football player and boxer
*
Curtis Yarvin (born 1973), American writer
Fictional characters
*
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''
*
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 Pike, fictional character from the movie ''Afraid''
Middle name
People
*
George Curtis Smith (1935–2020), United States District Court judge
*
Marron Curtis Fort (1938–2019), American–German translator and educator
Fictional characters
*
Amy Curtis March, one of the main characters of the novel ''
Little Women'' by Louisa May Alcott
See also
*
Courtois (disambiguation)
*
Curtice
References
{{given name, type=both
English masculine given names
Masculine given names
English-language surnames
Italian-language surnames