Curtis or Curtiss is a common given name and surname of English origin derived from the Old French "curteis," which means 'polite, courteous, or well-bred.'[1] It's related with the spanish and portuguese surname Cortes. It was brought to England (and subsequently, the rest of the Isles) via the Norman Conquest. This is evidence to suggest the name itself is a phonetic corruption of Curthose, the nickname ascribed to Robert II or also Curtmantle, the surname used by Henry II, the first of England's Plantagenet kings. It could also be a variation of the established medieval surname, Curthoys. Though it is unclear whether "Curtis" and "Curtiss" are directly related, the latter is also considered here for convenience.
[edit] Surname uses: Curtis
[edit] People
- Adam Curtis (born 1955), a British television documentary
- Alison Curtis (born 1977), a Canadian-Irish radio presenter
- Benjamin Robbins Curtis (1809–1874), an American jurist
- Bill Curtis (born 1948), an American software and organizational scientist
- Catie Curtis (born 1965), an American singer-songwriter
- Carlton Clarence Curtis (C.C.Curtis, 1864-1945), a botanist
- Charles Curtis (1860–1936), an American Vice President
- Charles Curtis (botanist) (1853–1928), an English botanist who became the first superintendent of the Penang Botanic Gardens
- Cyrus Hermann Kotzschmar Curtis (1850–1933), an American publisher
- David Curtis (born 1948), a Welsh Gymnast and Trampoline champion
- Edwin Burr Curtiss, the president of A. G. Spalding Bros.
- Edward S. Curtis (1868–1952), a photographer
- Edmund Curtis (1881-1943), a historian and Professor of History
- George Ticknor Curtis (1812–1894), an American politician and lawyer
- George William Curtis (1824–1892), an American writer and public speaker
- Glenn Curtiss (1878-1930), an American aviation pioneer and founder of the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company
- Harriot Curtis (1881–1974), an American golfer
- Heber Doust Curtis (1872–1942), an American astronomer
- Ian Curtis (1956–1980), a British singer-songwriter for Joy Division
- Jamie Lee Curtis (born 1958), an American actress
- John Curtis (disambiguation), several people
- Kathlyn Curtis, a Manitoba judge
- Kelly Curtis (born 1956), an American actress
- Kevin Curtis (born 1978), a professional American football player
- King Curtis (1934–1971), an American saxophonist
- Lee Curtis (born Peter Flannery), a British musician
- Mark Curtis (British author), a British political author
- Mark Curtis (SWP member), a former American Socialist Worker's Party member
- Mary Louise Curtis Bok, the founder of the Curtis Institute of Music, Philadelphia
- Margaret Curtis (1883–1965) an American golfer and tennis player
- Moses Ashley Curtis (M.A.Curtis, 1808-1872), an American botanist and mycologist
- Norman Curtis (1924-2009), an English football player
- Philip Kenneth Edward Curtis (1926–1951), a decorated English soldier
- Richard Curtis (born 1956), a British comedy scriptwriter
- Samuel Curtis (S.Curtis, 1779-1860), an English botanist
- Samuel Ryan Curtis (1805–1866), a Union General in the American Civil War
- Scott Curtis (born 1984), a Life FM radio presenter
- Sophie Curtis (born 1996), an American actress
- Tom Curtis (disambiguation), several people
- Tony Curtis (1925—2010), an American actor
- William Curtis (1746–1799), an English botanist
[edit] Fictional characters
[edit] Surname uses: Curtiss
[edit] People
[edit] Given name uses: Curtis
[edit] People
- Curtis Armstrong (born 1953), an American actor
- Curtis Enis (born 1976), a retired NFL running back
- Curtis Granderson (born 1981), a New York Yankees center fielder
- Curtis Hanson (born 1945), an American filmmaker
- Curtis James Jackson III (born 1975), an American rapper and actor (known as 50 Cent)
- Curtis Martin (born 1973), an American football player
- Curtis Mayfield, an American soul singer, songwriter and musician
- Curtis Robb (born 1972), a British middle-distance runner
- Curtis Salgado (born 1954), a rhythm and blues musician and singer-songwriter
- Curtis Strange (born 1955), an American professional golfer
- Curtis Warren (born 1963), a British criminal
- Curtis Woodhouse (born 1980), an English football player and boxer
[edit] Fictional characters
- Curtis Manning, a fictional character played by Jamaican-Canadian actor Roger Cross as part of the television series 24
- Curtis, a fictional character played by actor Spencer Breslin as part of 'The Santa Clause 2+3'
- Curtis Wilkins, a fictional character from the comic strip Curtis
- Curtis (Stargate), a recurring character in Stargate Universe
- Curtis Donovan, a fictional character played by actor Nathan Stewart-Jarrett as part of the UK television series Misfits
[edit] Places
[edit] References
- ^ Percy Hide Reaney, Richard Middlewood Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames (1991), p. 121.
