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{{About|the human name}}
{{otheruses}}
{{Infobox name
{{redirect|Curtiss|otheruses|Curtis (disambiguation)}}
| name = Curtis
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'''Curtis''' is a common ] of English origin. In English the meaning of the name ] is 'polite, courteous, or well-bred'. Though it is unclear whether "Curtis" and "Curtiss" are directly related, the latter is also considered here for convenience.
| caption=
| pronunciation={{IPAc-en|ˈ|k|ɜː|t|ɪ|s}}<br/>{{IPA|it|ˈkurtis|lang}}
| gender =]
| meaning = 1. ''polite'', ''courteous'', ''well-bred''<br/>2. ''short''
| usage =
| language=1. ]<br/>2. ]
| languageorigin=1. ]<br/>2. ]
| origin = 1. curteis<br/>2. curtī
| related names = ], ], ], ]
| footnotes =
}}


'''Curtis''' or '''Curtiss''' is a common English ] and ] of ] origin, deriving from the ] ''curteis'' (] ''courtois'') which was in turn derived from ] ''cohors''. Nicknames include Curt, Curty and Curtie.
A Curtis/Curtiss surname DNA project has been started and can be found at


The name means "polite, courteous, or well-bred".<ref>{{cite book|first1=Percy Hide|last1=Reaney|first2=Richard Middlewood|last2=Wilson|title=A Dictionary of English Surnames|year=1991|edition=3|publisher=Routledge|location=New York|isbn=0-415-05737-X|page=121}}</ref> It is a compound of ''curt-'' "court" and ''-eis'' "-ish".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cnrtl.fr/etymologie/courtois|title=Etymologie de Courtois|language=fr|website=CNRTL|date=2012|access-date=23 January 2014}}</ref> The spelling ''u'' to render in Old French was mainly ] and Norman, when the spelling ''o'' was the usual ] one, Modern French ''ou'' . ''-eis'' is the ] 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.<ref>{{cite book|editor-first=Terry F.|editor-last=Hoad|title=The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology|series=Oxford paperback reference|location=Oxford|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=1993|isbn=0-19-283098-8|page=101a}}</ref>
==Surname uses: Curtis==
{{surname|Curtis|nocat}}
===Actual people===
* ] (1955– ), British television documentary produceractor
* ] (1809–1874), American jurist
* ] (1965- ), American singer-songwriter
* ] (1860–1936), U.S. Vice President
* ] (1850–1933), U.S. publisher
* Dan Curtis Bassist of West Yorkshire band ]
* ] (1868–1952) the photographer
* ] (1812–1894), U.S. politician and lawyer
* ] (1824–1892), American writer and public speaker
* ] (1878-1930), American ] pioneer and founder of the ]
* ] (1881–1974) American golfer
* ] (1872–1942), American astronomer
* ] (1956–1980), British singer-songwriter for Joy Division
* ] (1958– ), American actress
* ] (1791–1862), English entomologist
* ], Manitoba judge
* ] (1956– ), American actress
* ] (1934–1971), American saxophonist
* ], a British political author
* ], a former American Socialist Worker's Party member
* ], the founder of the ], Philadelphia
* ] (1883–1965) American golfer and tennis player
* ] (1926–1951), decorated English soldier
* ], (1956– ) British comedy scriptwriter
* ] (1805–1866) Union General in the American Civil War
* ] (1984– ) Life FM radio presenter
* ] (1911&ndash;1993) U.S. Representative from Missouri
* ], (1953– ), American artist
* ] (1925– ), American actor
* ] (1746–1799), English botanist


It was brought to England (and subsequently, the rest of the Isles) via the ]. 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|date=December 2018}} Curtis was the 72nd most popular boy's name in 1963 in the United States,{{Citation needed|date=December 2018}} but has declined in popularity there since.{{citation needed|date=December 2018}} Many ] immigrants in ] with the last name '']'' have adopted the name ''Curtis'', since it is pronounced similarly and helped them integrate into their new community.
===Fictional characters===
* ], a fictional character on The Simpsons based on George Lucas
* ], a fictional character on ''Law & Order''
* ], a fictional character in Fullmetal Alchemist
* Sophia Curtis, a fictional character in CSI Las Vegas
* Jade Curtiss, a fictional ] protagonist


''Curtis'' or ''De Curtis'' is also a rare Italian surname (from Latin ''curtus''), meaning "short".
==Surname uses: Curtiss==
{{surname|Curtiss|nocat}}
===Actual people===
* ] (1908–1993), American Communist
* ] (1878–1930), Aviation pioneer and founder of the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company


== Surname ==
==Given name uses: Curtis==
=== People ===
{{given name|Curtis}}
*] (born 1955), English television documentarian
===Actual people===
*], multiple people
* ] (1976–) retired NFL running back
* ] (1981- ), Detroit Tigers center fielder *] (1874–1956), American suffragist, writer
* ] (1992- ), Retired Professional Track Runner *] (1860–1958), American writer
* ] (1975– ), American rapper/actor (known as 50 Cent) *] (born 1977), Canadian Irish radio presenter
* ] (1973– ), American football player *] (1877–1961), American film director
*] (born 1943), English cricketer
* ] (1942–1999), American soul, funk and R&B singer, songwriter and guitarist
* ] (1972- ), British middle-distance runner *] (born 1985), Philippine actress
*] (1919–1981), American naturalist, elder brother of Sydney Curtiss and Thomas Quinn Curtiss
* ], (1954- ), rhythm and blues musician and singer-songwriter
*] (1925–2017), American politician
* ], (1980- ), English footballer and boxer
*], also Ben Curtis, multiple people
*] (1889– ?), American actress
*] (born 1965), American singer-songwriter
*] (born 1968), American former major league baseball player convicted of sexual assault
*] (1853–1928), English botanist who became the first superintendent of the Penang Botanic Gardens
*], several people
*] (1860–1936), 31st vice president of the United States (1929–1933)
*] (1908–1993), American communist
*] (born 1926), American mathematician
*] (1939–2014), American journalist
*] (1941–2005), English musician, member of The Searchers
*] (1935–2016), American football coach
*] (1881–1943), American baseball player
*] (born 1968), New Zealand film and television actor
*] (1934–2023), American clinical trialist
*] (1850–1933), American magazine publisher
*], multiple people
*] (1828–1898), American inventor and politician
*] (1902–1952), American actor
*] (1881–1943), historian and Professor of History
*] (1868–1952), photographer
*] (1906–1999), English Anglican archbishop in Mauritius
*] (born 1932), American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church
*] (1828–1916), American educator, suffragist and reformer
*] (1908–2003), American sportswoman
*] (1812–1894), American politician and lawyer
*] (1824–1892), American writer and public speaker
*] (1878–1930), American aviation pioneer
*] (1878–1930), American aviation pioneer and founder of the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company
*] (c.1816–???), Wisconsin state senator
*] (1824–1902), American politician
*] (1881–1974), American golfer
*] (1883–1951), American baseball player
*] (1872–1942), American astronomer
*] (1874–1961), American activist, volunteer, educator and speaker
*] (1956–1980), English musician, lead singer of Joy Division
*] (1856–1921), American physician and volunteer military personnel
*] (1803–1859), American politician
*] (born 1958), American actress
*] (born 1994), Filipino actress
*] (1861–1945), American professional baseball player
*], several people
*] (1809–1873), American lawyer, abolitionist politician, and federal judge
*] (1924–2013), British Royal Air Force officer
*] (1899–1983), American historian of Russia and historical scholar of old Yankee stock
*] (1831–1878), American politician and lawyer
*] (1858–1944), golf equipment manufacturer
*], Manitoba judge
*] (born 1956), American actress
*] (born 1978), American football player
*] (1934–1971), American saxophonist
*] (1932–2019), American historian of Ireland
*], American chemist
*] (born Peter Flannery), British musician
*] (1861–1934), American politician
*] (1872–1955), founder of the Royal Institute of International Affairs
*] (1865–1924), Canadian-born American architect
*] (1851–1910), columnist and first editor of The Ladies Home Journal
*] (1939–2013), American musician
*] (1883–1965), American golfer and tennis player
*], British political author
*] (born 1959), former American Socialist Worker's Party member
*] (1858–1915), American suffragist, writer
*] (born 1953), American journalist
*] (1876–1970), founder of the Curtis Institute of Music, Philadelphia
*], American college baseball coach
*] (born 1999), American football player
*], several people
*] (M.A. Curtis, 1808–1872), American botanist and mycologist
*] (1861–1920), American lecturer, temperance activist, clubwoman
*] (1924–2009), English football player
*] (1740–1832), Irish archbishop
*] (born 1938), American producer
*] (1926–1951), English soldier
*] (1885–1964), politician, novelist, and newspaper reporter
*] (1898–1917), British flying ace
*] (1880–1929), American astronomer
*] (1854–1922), American painter
*] (1863–1922), British soldier
*] (born 1956), British comedy scriptwriter
*] (born 1996), Irish football player
*], American microbiologist
*] (S.Curtis, 1779–1860), English botanist
*] (1805–1866), Union General in the American Civil War
*], British geographer and academic
*] (born 1964), American football player
*] (1917–1994), American politician
*], American football player
*] (1911–1993), American Representative from Missouri
*] (1915–2000), French-born writer, and film and theatre critic
*], several people
*] (1952–2021), American college basketball player
*] (1925–2010), American actor
*] (1926–2013), American football player
*] (1875–1941), president of The Heckscher Foundation for Children
*] (1852–1917), American politician
*], Welsh football player
*] (1893–1977), Canadian airman
*] (1896–1970), American actress
*] (1746–1799), English botanist
*] (1923–2012), English author and journalist

=== Fictional characters ===
*], character on '']'' based on ]
*], character on ''Law & Order''
*], character in ''Fullmetal Alchemist''
* Three brothers in '']'': ] (the novel's narrator), Sodapop Curtis and Darrel "Darry" Curtis
* Jackson Curtis and Kate Curtis, fictional characters from ]
*], character on ]
*Curtis 'Curt' Henderson, in the movie ]

== Given name ==

=== People ===
*] (born 1953), American actor
*] (born 1995), American football player
*] (born 1998), American football player
*] (born 1993), Australian Rugby Union player
*] (born 1962), American kickboxer
*] (1958–2024), American bridge player and aerospace engineer
*], Hong Kong–Australian unsworn police employee shot dead by an Arab extremist
*] (born 1977), American singer and actor
*] (born 1976), NFL running back
*] (born 1981), New York Mets outfielder
*] (born 1945), American filmmaker
*] (born 1999), American football player
*Curtis Jackson III (born 1975), American rapper, actor and entrepreneur, known professionally as ]
*] (born 2002), American football player
*] (born 1990), American shot put thrower
*] (born 1987), basketball player for Hapoel Jerusalem of the Israeli Premier League
*] (born 1967), Canadian ice hockey goaltender
*], ice hockey player
*] (1939–2015), American singer
*] (1906–1990), American general in the United States Air Force
*] (born 1973), American football player
*] (1942–1999), American singer-songwriter
*] (born 1996), American fencer
*] (born 1995), English Rugby League player
*] (born 1985), American football quarterback
*] (born {{circa|1930}}), Algernon Sydney Biddle Professor of Law at the University of Pennsylvania Law School
*] (born 1972), British middle-distance runner
*] (born 1975), West Indian cricketer
*] (born 1998), American football player
*] (born 1949), American basketball player
*] (born 1954), rhythm and blues musician and singer-songwriter
*] (born 1996), American football player
*] (born 1993), Australian Rugby League player
*] (born 1965), American singer-songwriter
*] (born 1975), Australian TV chef
*] (born 1955), American professional golfer
*] (born 1963), British criminal
*] (born 1998), American football player
*] (born 1980), English football player and boxer
*] (born 1973), American writer

=== Fictional characters ===
*], fictional character in ''Arrow on CW as Mister Terrific'' played by Actor Echo Kellum
*], fictional character played by actor Nathan Stewart-Jarrett as part of the UK television series ''Misfits''
*], fictional character played by Jamaican–Canadian actor Roger Cross as part of the television series ''24''
*], fictional character from the comic strip ''Curtis''
*], recurring character in ''Stargate Universe''
*], ficitional character from the movie ''Afraid''

==Middle name==
===People===
*] (1935–2020), United States District Court judge
*] (1938–2019), American–German translator and educator


===Fictional characters=== ===Fictional characters===
* ], one of the main characters of the novel '']'' by Louisa May Alcott
* ], a fictional character played by Jamaican/Canadian actor Roger Cross as part of the television series ''24''

* ], a fictional character played by actor Spencer Breslin as part of 'The Santa Clause 2+3'
== See also ==
* ], a fictional character from the comic strip ].
*]
*]

== References ==
{{reflist}}


{{given name|type=both}}
]


]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]

Latest revision as of 11:13, 25 December 2024

This article is about the human name. For other uses, see Curtis (disambiguation).
Curtis
Pronunciation/ˈkɜːtɪs/
Italian: [ˈkurtis]
GenderMale
Language(s)1. English
2. Italian
Origin
Language(s)1. Anglo-Norman
2. Latin
Word/name1. curteis
2. curtī
Meaning1. polite, courteous, well-bred
2. short
Other names
Related namesKertész, Kurt, Cortez, Carson

Curtis or Curtiss is a common English given name and surname of Anglo-Norman origin, deriving from the Old French 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 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 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

Fictional characters

Given name

People

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, ficitional character from the movie Afraid

Middle name

People

Fictional characters

See also

References

  1. Reaney, Percy Hide; Wilson, Richard Middlewood (1991). A Dictionary of English Surnames (3 ed.). New York: Routledge. p. 121. ISBN 0-415-05737-X.
  2. "Etymologie de Courtois". CNRTL (in French). 2012. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
  3. Hoad, Terry F., ed. (1993). The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. Oxford paperback reference. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 101a. ISBN 0-19-283098-8.
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