Kortez

Meaning & origin

Kortez is a modern American name that first appeared on the U.S. Social Security Administration's baby name list in 1978. It reached its highest rank of 6,143th in 2025, with a peak year of 2020, when it was given to a record number of boys. However, its trajectory has been falling since 2020, indicating a decline in popularity. The name is used in roughly 1 in 122,005 male births in 2025. Its spelling with a 'K' rather than 'C' reflects a broader trend in contemporary American naming toward distinctive, phonetic variations. While no top states are associated with Kortez, it remains a rare but recognizable choice that fits alongside other modern 'K' names like Kael or Kiana.

Kortez is a modern American coinage, likely influenced by the Spanish surname Cortez (derived from Old Spanish cortés 'courteous') or a phonetic respelling of the name Curtis. It gained modest usage in the United States from the late 20th century, first recorded in 1978, with a notable peak in 2020. The substitution of 'K' for 'C' follows a contemporary trend in invented names.