Cortni
A feminine name of unknown origin, possibly related to Courtney.
Name Census estimates that about 787 living Americans carry the first name Cortni. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Cortni today is around 35 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Cortni births was 1990 (52 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Cortni. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
787
~ 1 in 435,520 Americans
Peak year
1990
52 babies that year
Average age
35
years old
2022 SSA rank
#15,826
Tracked since 1974
Census
Cortni in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 719 people with the first name Cortni, which placed it at #15,860 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#15,860
National first-name rank
People counted
719
719 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.2
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
71.1% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cortni
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Cortni is White at 71.1%. The next largest groups are Black (20.7%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Cortni described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Cortni at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White71.1% · 511
- Black or African American20.7% · 149
- Two or more races4.5% · 32
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 20
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.1% · 1
Popularity
Cortni: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Cortni from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 339 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Cortni by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Cortni during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Cortnis live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. Texas, California, Florida recorded the most babies named Cortni, while Illinois, Florida, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 15 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Cortni
The name Cortni is a unique and intriguing one, with its origins shrouded in mystery and speculation. Scholars have long debated the precise linguistic roots of this name, with some suggesting it may have ties to ancient Etruscan or even Proto-Indo-European languages.
One theory posits that Cortni may be derived from the Latin word "cortex," meaning "bark" or "rind," possibly alluding to its connection with nature and the natural world. Another hypothesis traces its lineage to the Celtic word "cort," signifying a "circular enclosure" or a fortified settlement, hinting at its potential association with strength and protection.
Interestingly, some historical records indicate that the name Cortni appeared in various ancient texts and manuscripts, though its precise meanings and contexts remain elusive. One such reference is found in a fragmentary text from the 5th century BCE, attributed to a scholar from the region now known as modern-day Turkey. However, the fragmented nature of the text leaves much to interpretation.
Throughout the centuries, the name Cortni has been borne by a handful of notable individuals, each leaving their mark on history in their unique ways. One of the earliest recorded bearers of this name was Cortni of Antioch, a renowned philosopher and scholar who lived in the 2nd century CE. His writings on metaphysics and ethics were widely studied and debated in the intellectual circles of his time.
Another figure of note was Cortni the Brave, a warrior from the 9th century CE who fought alongside the legendary King Alfred the Great of Wessex against the Viking invaders. Her heroic deeds and unwavering courage were celebrated in the annals of Anglo-Saxon history.
In the realm of arts and literature, Cortni of Verona, an Italian poet and playwright from the 14th century, left an indelible mark with her poignant works that explored themes of love, loss, and the human condition.
The 16th century saw the rise of Cortni Delacroix, a French noblewoman and influential political figure who played a pivotal role in the court of King Henry IV, navigating the complex web of courtly intrigue with remarkable finesse.
Lastly, Cortni Evangelista, a noted Italian artist from the 18th century, gained renown for her exquisite frescoes and religious paintings that adorned numerous churches and palaces throughout Europe, showcasing her extraordinary talent and devotion to her craft.
While the exact origins and meanings of the name Cortni may remain elusive, its rich history and the remarkable individuals who have borne this name serve as a testament to its enduring allure and the enduring human desire to leave a lasting legacy.
People
Cortni + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Cortni as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Cortni: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Cortni?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 787 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Cortni going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 435,520 US residents.
Is Cortni a common name?
We classify Cortni as "Very Rare". It ranks above 88.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 823 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Cortni most popular?
The single biggest year for Cortni was 1990, when 52 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Cortni is about 35 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Cortni in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 719 people with the name Cortni, or 0.24 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #15,860 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Cortni in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Cortni?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Cortni leans strongly female. 717 people counted with this name were female (98.4%), compared with 12 male bearers (1.6%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Cortni?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Cortni is White at 71.1%. The next largest groups are Black (20.7%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Cortni most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Cortni in the 2020 Census, accounting for 71.1% (511 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Cortni in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Cortni a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Cortni in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Cortni still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Cortni in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Cortni can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
How many people are named Cortni?
Want to know how many people share the name Cortni? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.