Courter History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France
Ireland

Courter is a name of ancient Anglo-Saxon origin and comes from a family once 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 Courter family

The surname Courter 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 Courter 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 Courter family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Courter research. Another 114 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1532, 1550, 1552, 1553, 1556 and 1582 are included under the topic Early Courter History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Courter Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Courter has been recorded under many different variations, including A'Court, Court, Courte, Couert, Covert, Courtie, Courts and many more.

Early Notables of the Courter family

Distinguished 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 Courter Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Courter Ranking

In the United States, the name Courter is the 15,218^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2

Migration of the Courter family to Ireland

Some of the Courter 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.

Courter migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Courter or a variant listed above:

Courter Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Louis Courter, who landed in Louisiana in 1719 3

Courter Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Mrs. Courter, who settled in America, in 1906
Albert C. Courter, who immigrated to the United States, in 1910
Emily Courter, aged 33, who landed in America from Litchfield, England, in 1911
Mrs. R.L. Courter, aged 19, who immigrated to the United States, in 1911
Ray L. Courter, aged 25, who settled in America, in 1912
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Courter (post 1700) +

Gay Courter (b. 1944), American Pulitzer Prize nominated film writer, author, and novelist
Major General Amy S. Courter CAP (b. 1961), American former National Commander of the Civil Air Patrol
James Andrew "Jim" Courter (b. 1941), American Republican Party politician, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives for New Jersey

The Courter Motto +

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.

Citations +

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)