Show ContentsCortez History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Noble surnames, such as Cortez, evoke images of the ancient homeland of the Spanish people. The original bearer of the name Cortez, which is a local surname, once lived, held land, or was born in the beautiful region of Spain. In Spain, hereditary surnames were adopted according to fairly general rules and during the late Middle Ages, names that were derived from localities became increasingly widespread. Local names originally denoted the proprietorship of the village or estate.

Early Origins of the Cortez family

The surname Cortez was first found in Aragon, an important Christian kingdom of mediaeval Spain.

Early History of the Cortez family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cortez research. Another 69 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1246, 1551, 1648 and 1694 are included under the topic Early Cortez History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cortez Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Cortés, Cortes, Cortesía, Cortesia, Cortez and many more.

Early Notables of the Cortez family

Another 43 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cortez Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cortez Ranking

In the United States, the name Cortez is the 481st most popular surname with an estimated 59,688 people with that name. 1


Cortez migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Cortez Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Jua Cortez, aged 38, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1829 2
  • Maria DeLaCruz Rodrigues Cortez, who landed in Texas in 1835 2
  • Espilsa Cortez, aged 40, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1835 2
  • Genovera Cortez, aged 23, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1835 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Cortez (post 1700) +

  • Diego Cortez (1946-2021), born James Curtis, an American filmmaker and art curator closely associated with the no wave period in New York City
  • Diego Cortez (1946-2021), born James Curtis, an American filmmaker and art curator closely associated with the no wave period in New York City
  • Jayne Cortez (b. 1936), American poet
  • Carlos Cortez (1923-2005), American poet, graphic artist, photographer, muralist and political activist
  • Angela Cortez, American journalist
  • Dave "Baby" Cortez Sr. (b. 1938), stage name of David Cortez Clowney, American pop and R&B organist and pianist
  • Alberto Cortez (1940-2019), born José Alberto García Gallo, an Argentine singer and songwriter
  • Sergei Cortez (1935-2016), Belarusian composer
  • Raul Christiano Machado Cortez (1932-2006), Brazilian actor
  • Jose Cortez (b. 1975), American NFL football place-kicker
  • ... (Another 1 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

St. Francis Dam
  • Mr. Ancension Cortez, Mexican born American resident in Santa Clarita killed when the St. Francis Dam failed and flooded the area in 1928


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)


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