| ![Show Contents]() Courts History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Of all the Anglo-Saxon names to come from Britain, Courts is one of the most ancient. The name is a result of the original family having lived at the court, a phrase which may have indicated either a large mansion or a tribunal. The prefix A was often dropped by the 13th century, when many branches of the family became known as Court. Some historians have suggested that certain variations of the name may be nicknames derived from the Old French and Old English word curt, meaning short or truncated. However, time has confused the different derivations, and it is now extremely difficult to tell which is appropriate to a given family or situation. Early Origins of the Courts familyThe surname Courts was first found in "Covert or Couert, Normandy, [who] held by the service of 1 fee of the barony or Braiose [Briouze]." 1 William de Braose (Briouze), First Lord of Bramber (died c. 1096) was granted extensive lands in Sussex by William the Conqueror. Accordingly, the Courts family held lands from him in Sussex. In 1107, William de Cuvert witnessed the foundation charter of Barnstaple and years later William Guvert (Cuvert) held a fee of ancient enfeoffment from William de Courcy in Somerset. 1 Early History of the Courts familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Courts research. Another 114 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1532, 1550, 1552, 1553, 1556 and 1582 are included under the topic Early Courts History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Courts Spelling VariationsThe first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Courts has been spelled many different ways, including A'Court, Court, Courte, Couert, Covert, Courtie, Courts and many more. Early Notables of the Courts familyDistinguished members of the family include Richard Curteys (1532?-1582), Bishop of Chichester, a native of Lincolnshire. "He received his academical education at St. John's College, Cambridge, where he was elected to a scholarship on the...
Another 34 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Courts Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Courts RankingIn the United States, the name Courts is the 15,550th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2  Migration of the Courts family to Ireland
Some of the Courts family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Courts migration to the United States | + |
Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Courtss to arrive in North America:
Courts Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- Sir John Courts, who arrived in Maryland in 1637-1638 3
- John Courts, who landed in Maryland in 1645 3
- Margaret Courts, who arrived in Maryland in 1649 3
- Mary Courts, who landed in Maryland in 1661 3
| Courts migration to Australia | + |
Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include: Courts Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century- Mr. William Courts, (b. 1812), aged 28, Cornish farm overseer travelling aboard the ship "Earl Grey" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 20th February 1840 4
| Contemporary Notables of the name Courts (post 1700) | + |
- W. D. Courts, American politician, Representative from Ohio 3rd District, 1880 5
- Daniel W. Courts, American politician, U.S. Consul in Matanzas, 1839-40 5
- John Courts Bagby (1819-1896), American Democratic Party politician, U.S. Representative from Illinois 10th District, 1875-77
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: Grandescunt aucta labore
Motto Translation: What is increased by Labour grows greater.
- The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
- Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, May 30). Ships' Passenger Lists of Arrivals in New South Wales on (1828 - 1842, 1848 - 1849) [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_nsw_1838_on.pdf
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, May 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
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Courts migration to the United States 
Courts migration to Australia 
England
Ireland
