This name is of Old French origin, introduced into England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. It has two quite distinct interpretations: firstly, the surname may be locational, from places called Courtenay in the regions of Loiret and Gâtinais The House of Courtenay was a significant French family with close association with both the French, and thereby, English Royal lines; in England the Courtenays were Earls of Devon.
In some cases, bearers of the surname may be of Irish descent, since Courtney is also an Anglicized form of the Gaelic "O'Curnain", descendant of Curnan, from an Old Irish personal name of obscure origins. Recordings of the name from London Church Registers include: the christening of Thomas Courtney at All Hallows, London Wall, on 11 November 1569, and the marriage of William Courtney and Mary Lucas on 22 March 1590, at St Dunstan's, Stepney. John Courtney and his wife, Sybill, were early immigrants to America, leaving London on the "Paule" in July 1635, bound for Virginia. An early coat of arms granted to the family depicts a blue fesse between three torteaux on a gold shield. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Reginald de Curtenay, which was dated 1164, in "Feudal Documents from the Abbey of Bury St Edmunds", Suffolk, during the reign of King Henry II.
Beth Courtney (born 1945), president and CEO of Louisiana Public Broadcasting
Brendan Courtney, Irish television presenter
Bryce Courtenay (1933–2012), Australian novelist
Charles Courtenay, 19th Earl of Devon (born 1975), American attorney
Charles E. Courtney (1849–1920), American rower and rowing coach
Dave Courtney (born 1959), British author and self-proclaimed ex-gangster
Duane Courtney (born 1985), English footballer
Ernie Courtney (1875–1920), American baseball player
Hazel Courteney, British journalist specialising in alternative health and spiritual issues
Henry A. Courtney, Jr. (1916–1945), US Marine Corps Reserve officer during World War II and Medal of Honor recipient
Hugh Courtenay, 18th Earl of Devon (1942–2015), British peer
Jack Courtney (disambiguation), multiple people
Jacqueline Courtney (born 1946), American actor
Courtney Trail Squash player, NZ
Jai Courtney (born 1986), Australian actor
James Courtney (born 1980), Australian racing driver
James Courtney (New Zealand) (1888–1934), New Zealand Military Cross recipient; great-uncle of Mel Courtney
Jan Niecisław Baudouin de Courtenay (1845–1929), Polish linguist, creator of the idea of the phoneme
Janet E. Courtney (1865–1954), British scholar, writer and feminist
Joe Courtney (politician) (born 1953), American lawyer and Democratic politician
Joel Courtney (born 1996), American film actor
John Courtney (disambiguation), multiple people
Jon Courtney (1918–1997)
Joscelin I of Courtenay (Joscelin I, Count of Edessa) (?-1131), Count of Edessa
Joscelin II of Courtenay, (Joscelin II, Count of Edessa) (?-1159), fourth and last ruling count of Edessa
Kent Courtney (1918–1997), American politician
Leonard Courtney, 1st Baron Courtney of Penwith (1832–1918), British politician and man of letters
Lou Courtney (born 1943), American musician
Margaret Courtenay, 15th-century English noblewoman
Mel Courtney, New Zealand Independent politician; great-nephew of James Courtney of New Zealand
Nicholas Courtney (1929–2011), British television actor
Pip Courtney, Australian journalist and television presenter
Robert Courtney (born 1952), American pharmacist convicted of fraud
Roger Courtney, British military officer influential in the establishment of the Special Boat Service
Stephanie Courtney (born 1970), American actor and comedian
Steven Courtney (born 1955), British scientist
Sue Courtenay (b. ca 1975), Belizean architect
Tom Courtenay, English actor
Tom Courtney (born 1933), former American athlete
William Courtenay (c. 1342–1396), English prelate
William Harrison Courtney (born 1944), American diplomat
William Leonard Courtney (1850–1928), English author
Courtney was used as a given name for men beginning at least as far back as the 17th Century (e.g. the British Member of Parliament Sir Courtney Pool, 1677). As a given name for women, however, it gained wide acceptance only in the years following the 1956 publication of the novel "Chocolates for Breakfast" by Pamela Moore, whose protagonist Courtney Farrell sometimes wishes she had been born a man.
Courtney Babcock (born 1972), Canadian runner
Courtney Barnett (born 1987), Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist
Courteney Cox (born 1964), American actress
Courtney Rachel Culkin (born 1983), American model
Courtney Cummz (born 1981), stage name of American erotic actress Chrissy Carpenter
Courtney Ekmark, American basketball player
Courtney Friel (born 1980), American television presenter
Courtney Gibbs (born 1966), Miss USA 1988
Courtney Hansen (born 1974), American actress, television personality, syndicated columnist, and model
Kourtney Hansen (born 1980), American actress, radio personality
Courtney Halverson (born 1989), American actress
Courtney Hicks (born 1995), American figure skater
Courtney Jines (born 1992), American actress
Kourtney Kardashian (born 1979), American media personality
Courtney Kennedy (born 1979), American ice hockey player
Courtney Knight, Canadian Paralympics athlete
Courtney Kupets (born 1986), American gymnast
Courtney Love (born 1964), American rock musician and actress
Courtney Marie Andrews (born 1990), American singer-songwriter
Courtney McCool (born 1988), American gymnast
Courtney Meldrum (born 1977), American long-distance runner
Courtney Nagle (born 1982), American professional tennis player
Courtney Niemiec (born 1992), American soccer player
Courtney Paris (born 1987), American basketball player
Courtney Parker (born 1985), American singer living in Greece
Courtney Peldon (born 1981), American television and film actress
Courtney C. Radsch (born 1979), American journalist
Courtney Rush (born 1983), Canadian professional wrestler
Courtney Simpson (born 1985), American erotic actress
Courtney Stodden (born 1994), American television personality
Courtenay Taylor (born 1969), American actress
Courtney Thompson (born 1984), American volleyball player
Courtney Thorne-Smith (born 1967), American actress
Courtney Vandersloot (born 1989), American basketball player
Courtney Webb (born 1988), British actress and writer
Courtney Act (born 1981) stage name of Shane Jenek, Australian drag queen
Courtney Alexander (born 1977), American basketball player
Courtney Anderson (born 1980), American football player
Sir Courtney Blackman, Barbadian economist, business consultant and diplomat
Edward Courtney Boyle (1883–1967), English recipient of the Victoria Cross
Courtney Brown, American social scientist and proponent of remote viewing
Courtney Brown (born 1978), American football player
Courtney Browne (born 1970), West Indian cricketer
Charles Courtney Curran (1861–1942), American Impressionist painter
William Courtney Dowling (born 1944), American author and social critic
Courtney Gains (born 1965), American actor
Courtenay Gonsalves (1950–2013), Guyanese cricketer
Lawrence Courtney Haines (known as Courtney) (c.1920-1996), Australian ornithologist
Courtney Hodges (1887–1966), United States Army general
Courtney Lawes (born 1989), English rugby union player
Courtney Lee (born 1985), American basketball player
Courtney Lewis (born 1984), British conductor
Courtney Murphy (born 1979), contestant in the 2004 season of the Australian reality television series Australian Idol
John Courtney Murray (1904–1967), Jesuit theologian
Courtney Pine (born 1964), British jazz musician
Courtney Pitt (born 1981), English footballer
Courtney Robinson (born 1986), American football player
Courtney Roby (born 1983), American football player
Courtney Solomon (born 1971), Canadian film director
Courtney Taylor-Taylor (born 1967), American songwriter, singer and guitarist
Courtney B. Vance (born 1960), American actor
Courtney Walsh (born 1962), West Indian cricketer
Courtney Watson (born 1980), American football player
Courtney Whitney (1897–1969), American lawyer and Army commander
Courtney Chetwynde, from D.J. MacHale's Pendragon series
Courtney Crimson, character in Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
Courtney Crumrin, character in a comic book series written and illustrated by Ted Naifeh and released through Oni Press
Courtney Farrell, protagonist of the 1956 best-seller Chocolates for Breakfast
Courtney Gripling, character on Nickelodeon animated series As Told By Ginger
Sergeant Hatred, character on the animated series The Venture Bros., whose real name is Courtney Haine
Courtney Heironimus, mobile suit pilot from the fictional Gundam metaseries
Courtney A. Krieger (Cover Girl (G.I. Joe)), character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero themed toy line of the 1980s
Courtney Matthews, heroine on ABC soap opera General Hospital
Courtney Mitchell, character in the popular BBC soap opera EastEnders
Courtney Ross, fictional character from Marvel Comics
Courtney Whitmore, superheroine Stargirl in the DC Comics Universe
Courtney Lane, a character from the Nickelodeon TV movie Spectacular!
Courtney Wall, an important supporting character in the arcade game Dark Escape 4D.
Courtney, a contestant from a show called Total Drama in four seasons.
