Name meaning & stats
Courtney
Courtney means “short nose (debated)”. 279,626 US babies since 1940, peak 1990. Notable Courtneys are 2.7× over-represented as basketball players.
What it means
“short nose (debated)”
Debated
Originally a surname.
In US birth records
Peak year: 1990
279,626 US babies were named Courtney between 1940 and 2025.
Where Courtneys end up
Not enough notable Courtneys yet, so this uses the spelling family: Courtney, Kourtney.
| Career | vs expected | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Basketball player | 2.7× | High · 28 people |
| Actor | 0.9× | High · 25 people |
| Footballer | 2.4× | High · 25 people |
| Model | 1.7× | Medium · 16 people |
Among notable women who are basketball players, the Courtney family show up 2.7× as often as you'd expect from how common the name is.
Notable people born 1940–2005 in the US, UK, Canada and Australia (Wikidata). Patterns, not destiny.
Spelling family
The most common spelling: 92% of the family
- Courtney 92%
- Kourtney 5%
- Courtnie 1%
- Courtenay <1%
- Courteney <1%
- Courtni <1%
- Kourtni <1%
- Kourtnie <1%
- Courtny <1%
- Courtnay <1%
Names that sound the same, grouped by Heyotag. Share of US babies since 1940.
Name twins (peaked around 1990)