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.
The word court shares the same etymology but retains a Modern French spelling, after the orthography had changed.
[3] 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.
[citation needed] 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.