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Commonly considered a variation of Cortés, Cortéz is a Spanish or Portuguese (Cortês) surname derived from the Old French corteis or curteis, meaning "courteous" or "polite." The descriptive surname was often bestowed as a nickname to a man of good education, or one who was considered "refined" or "accomplished." The Cortez surname is the Spanish/Portuguese equivalent of the English surname Curtis.
Cortes may also be a geographical, or habitational name from any of the many places in Spain and Portugal called Cortes, the plural of corte, meaning "a court of a king or sovereign."
Cortez is the 64th most common Hispanic surname.
Surname Origin: Spanish, Portuguese
Alternate Surname Spellings: CORTES, COURTOIS, COURTES, CURTIS