Surname Kourtis - Meaning and Origin
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Kourtis: What does the surname Kourtis mean?
Kourtis is an ancient Greek surname which dates back to the late Byzantine Empire. It is likely that the original bearer of the surname was a Christian living in the Byzantine Empire, around the 8th century. The surname likely originates from the Greek word "kourous," or "sceptre," and could have indicated a position of power or authority within a community.
The surname has been found in various locations across Greece, from Athens to Constantinople, to other Mediterranean locations such as Italy, Bulgaria, and Turkey. Several prominent families in the Greco-Roman world have carried the surname, including the Kourtis family of the Peloponnesian island of Ithaca.
Today, the surname is likely to be found primarily in areas of the Balkans (Greece, Bulgaria, Turkey, etc.), but could have spread further over the past several centuries. Despite its Greek origin, Kourtis is a surname that could be found in countries around the world, women and men alike, and could indicate a variety of religious, ethnic, or social backgrounds.
No matter the source, Kourtis is an ancient surname full of interesting history and background, signifying a strong legacy of power and authority.
Order DNA origin analysisKourtis: Where does the name Kourtis come from?
The last name Kourtis is most commonly found today in Greek or Greek-American communities. It is an example of a patronymic surname, which references the given name of a parent or ancestor. It derived from the Greek given name "Kouris", which was derived from the Greek word "kouros", meaning boy or youth.
Many Greeks bearing the Kourtis surname can trace their familial lineage back to the Ionian Islands in the Adriatic Sea, or northern Greece. Historically, people bearing this name have been found mainly in the larger Greek-populated regions of the Mediterranean such as Crete, the Ionian Islands, and the Aegean islands.
In the late 19th-century, increased economic hardship and famine in Greece pushed many of its citizens to seek better opportunities elsewhere. As a result, several members of the Kourtis family moved to the United States. Since then, the United States has been the primary location for people bearing this surname. According to the 1990 US census, there were 1,927 people with the Kourtis surname living throughout the United States.
Today, the Kourtis surname can be found in both the United States and Greece, and in other countries where Greeks have migrated.
Variations of the surname Kourtis
The surname Kourtis can have a variety of variants, spellings, and other surnames of similar origin. The most prominent of these are Kourtesi, Kourtzis, Kourtellas, Kourti, and Kourteses.
Kourtis is an ancient Greek last name, referencing the ancient Greek region known as Kourtia. The Greek region was later known as Corinth, and the name would have most likely been used to reference those originating from the region.
Kourtesi is a common variant of the Kourtis surname due to its frequent use within Greek culture. The suffix -esi Bεmετωyήntαi is commonly used to continue family names and indicate a type of professional. This suffix was employed to refer to the particular family from the Kourtia region, thus the Kourtesi surname is frequently used.
Kourtzis is another variant spelling of the Kourtis surname, primarily used in countries other than Greece such as the United States and Australia. The Greek letter “z” would have been translated to a “z” to suit the American English spelling.
Kourtellas is another form of the Kourtis surname found in Greece. This spelling follows the same conventions as Kourtesi; the version with the “ll” letter is used to continuation of familial last names.
Kourti and Kourteses are also other variants of the surname Kourtis, typically used in Greece. The letter “s” is commonly used to imply animal and occupational based surnames, which may have been used to indicate a profession within Kourtia. The Kourti version may have been used as an alternative spelling for Kourtella, as the letters “ll” and “i” in the Greek alphabet are often interchangeable with one another.
Famous people with the name Kourtis
- Kayla Kourtis: Kayla Kourtis is a professional dancer, best known for her appearances on So You Think You Can Dance.
- Effi Kourtis: Effi Kourtis is a professional musician, best known for her hit single "Lipstick and Lulla-Byes".
- Eirini Kourtis: Eirini Kourtis is a professional soccer player, best known for her appearances with the Greek women's national soccer team.
- Dimitris Kourtis: Dimitris Kourtis is a professional basketball player, best known for his time on the Greek national basketball team.
- Giorgos Kourtis: Giorgos Kourtis is a professional artist, best known for his paintings and sculptures.
- Andria Kourtis: Andria Kourtis is a professional dancer, best known for her appearances on Dancing with the Stars.
- Alexia Kourtis: Alexia Kourtis is a professional film producer, best known for producing the movie Paparazzi.
- Dimitrie Kourtis: Dimitrie Kourtis is a professional engineer, best known for inventing the first carbon dioxide laser.
- Maria Kourtis: Maria Kourtis is a professional chef, best known for her iconic Greek cuisine.
- Nikos Kourtis: Nikos Kourtis is a professional actor, best known for his roles in The Godfather and The Bourne Identity.