Meaning of the surname Curtius - Korte - Kur(t)z(e) and variants

Meaning of the surname Curtius - Korte - Kur(t)z(e) and variants:

The surname Curtius / Korte / Kur(t)z(e) means "Short" but is sometimes conflated from the surname "Konrad's son"'. In the context of my particular family the surname is a nickname meaning 'Short', referring to the stature of the original bearer of the surname, possibly someone living in the 12th to 13th centuries when German hereditary surnames evolved. In European and other cultures there are very few things passed down in families that are as ancient as their surnames; not many families living today have an heirloom passed down to them from the middle ages like a sword, knife, spoon, jewel; but we do have our surname passed down generation after generation by word of mouth and sometimes documented.

 

Below are some references to the surname Curtius / Korte / Kur(t)z(e) / Short etc. found in various sources:

Dictionary of German Names [Deutsches Namenlexikon]:

By Dr. Hans Bahlow, translated and revised by Edda Gentry. 2002, 2nd edition, ISBN 0-924119-35-7.
[Deutsches Namenlexikon. By Dr. Hans Bahlow. ISBN 3-8112-0294-4]

A boon for genealogical research and an interesting browse for the merely curious, this detailed dictionary is an English-language reference for more than 15,000 German family names, including variant spellings as well as the meaning and origin of each name.

"A classic for anyone interested in their German ancestry and an invaluable tool for North Americans trying to determine what part of Germany they came from."— Helmut Schmahl, Johannes Gutenberg University–Mainz

Distributed for the Max Kade Institute for German-American Studies

• Kordes, Kording (mostly Cordes, Cohrs, etc.): Low German patronymic of Konrad, see this. Kordvahr (Westphalia) = Kord Vader (Kurt the father). Also Kordt, Kordtmann. Johann Nabercord [= neighbour Kurt], Warburg 1459. As early as 1191 in Oldenburg: Count Cord of Brockhusen. See also Körte and Kurt.
• Körte, patronymic Körting (Westphalia) = Kort = Konrad. But Korte (Low German): the short one (der Kurze in standard German), Corteclawes, Kiel 1457.
• Korthase (Low German): conspicuous through short pants (Joh(ann). Kortehose, Hamburg 1393, [Hose = pant(s) / trousers]). Korth (frequently found in Hamburg): in some cases = kurz 'short', in others = first name Kord.
• Kortlang (frequently found in Hamburg): = kurz-lang 'short-long'. Knappe [squire] Volkwin Kortelanghe, Bremen 1371. Compare Joh(ann) Kurzlang, Haubersbronn 1474.
• Kortüm (Low German): = kurzum, name for a quickly decided person, see Bremer Wörterbuch. Name is known through the writer Karl Kortum, author of Jobsiade.
• Kuhrt (frequently found in Hamburg): in some cases = 'short', in others standardized from Low German Kord, Kurd = Konrad. As early as 1297 Joh(ann). called Curt, Hamburg. See Korth. But Wilhelm Kurtenase [short nose], Cologne 1205.
• Kürten (frequently found in Cologne and Düsseldorf), therefore probably not only from the place name Kürten near Cologne but also a patronymic of the personal name Kurt.
• Kurt(h): contracted from Kunrat (Kuorat) = Konrad, in Low German standardized from Korth (Kord, Cord): also 'short' (Low German kort, kurt) is involved. As early as 1297 in Hamburg Joh(ann). called Curt. See Kuhrt. Compounds: Großkurth, Kleinkurth, Magerkurth, etc.
• Kur(t)z, Kur(t)ze, (Latin Curtius); Low German Korte: of small stature, short; compare with Kurzbein [short leg], Kurzhals [short neck], Kurzmaul [small mouth]. Also Kurzrock [short jacket], Kurzmantel [short coat] beides Langmantel; Kurzweil (pastime, for a jokester) beside Langweil [boredom]; Kurzweck (short roll); Kurzfleisch [short meat] are (derisive) nicknames for a baker or butcher. Kurzleb(en) probably changed from Kutzleb (from place name Kutzleben in Thuringia), already 1295 Ch. Churzlebon in Austria, J. Korteleben, Brunswick (Braunschweig) 1600.

 

Die Deutschen Familien Namen [The German Family Names]:

A. Heintze & Prof. Dr. Paul Cascorbi. 1933. Buchhandlung des Waisenhauses G.m.b.H., Halle / S. Berlin:

• Curtius III. äußerlich verlateint aus Kurtz, Korte oder Kurt (Konrad).
• Kort-, Kört- siehe a.) I. Kunja (Konrad) (Vollname), b) III. Kurz.
• Kortum III. Niederdeutsch “kurz um”, ein kleiner, hurtiger Mensch. Auch Kortüm, Cortum.
• Kur(t)z III. Eigenschafts – Name. Auch Kurze und in manchen Zusammensetzung, wie Kurzrock; -bein; -hals; -halz; -ke; -leb; -leben; -weg; -weck; -mann; -bart; -weil (Kurtzwile 1446 Jena); -fleisch; -mantel; -maul; -thaler. Kortenkamp; -beutel, Kortum (siehe diese).
•  I, II, III; die drei Schichten innerhalb der FN. (Abhandlung Kap.1]

 

Duden - Familiennamen [Family Names]:

Rosa und Volker Kohlheim. © 2001 Bibliographisches Institut & F.A. Brockhaus AG (Duden). Mannheim. ISBN: 978-3-411-70852-9:

• Curtius: aus der Zeit des Humanismus stammende Latinisierung der deutschen Familiennamen Kurz, Curt(h), Kurt. Bekannter Namensträger: Ernst Robert Curtius, deutscher Romanist (19./20. Jh.).
• Kort(e):
  1. Niederdeutsche Übernamen zu mnd. kort »kurz, klein« nach der Gestalt des ersten Namensträgers. 2. Aus einer niederdeutschen, durch Zusammenziehung entstandenen Form von Konrad hervorgegangene Familiennamen.
• Kurtz, Kurz: Übernamen zu mhd. kurz »kurz« für einen kleinen Menschen. In München ist a. 1387 Ulrich Kurcz, goltsmid bezeugt.
• Kurt: 1. Aus einer durch Zusammenziehung entstandenen Form von Konrad hervorgegangener Familienname. 2. Türkischer Familienname zu türk. kurt »Wolf«.]

 

Deutsche Namenkunde [German Names]:

Max Gottschald. Revision 6, 2006. Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co. KG, 10785 Berlin. ISBN-13: 978-3-11-018031-2:

• Curtius: Latinis. von Kurz, Korte, Kurt, mit Anlehnung an den röm. Familienname Curtius. Kurtzius.
• Kort: 1. = Kurt, Konrad, sieh Kühn. 2. niederdeutsch "kurz" (sieh dieses). Zu 2: Kort|e(n)-kamp = kampf, engräber, länder, hauer, häuer = höwer (hauen) = schlag, hals, ebein, hase (> hose), legel, lang, um (Kortüm, Cortum, Cortnum(me) "kurz um" = "flink" oder Redensartenname). Korthleben; Korthaus wohl = Karthaus (sieh dieses). 3. wendisch khort "Jagdhund" (Ortsname Khortnica)].
• Kurz: niederdeutsch Kort(h) (sieh dieses) (x Kühn, Chunrad: Kurts). Kurtz(e), Kurzius, Kortz, Korzer, Kürz(e)l > Kerzel (Glatz). Zusammenrückung Kurz|rock, mantel, bein, bart, halz > holz, weg, bach, weil, bernhard, ezunge, enknabe. Sieh Walther. Satzn. Kurzenwort. Man vergleiche Kort. Kurtzius s. Curtius. Aber Kurzleben wohl untergegangener Ort: Cortlever. Doch man vergleiche Kurtzleben]

 

Etymologisches Wörterbuch der Deutschen Familiennamen [Etymology word book of the German family names]:

Professor Josef Karlmann Brechenmacher. 1957. C.A. Starke Verlag. Limburg a.d. Lahn. ISBN 3-7980-0355-6.

Page 137:

• Kurz, =tz, ÜN des im Wachstum Zurückgebliebenen, alt oft auch Brevis. 1248 Joh. Kurz zu Eßlingen: EUB. I, 14, u. zahll. andere. in Reutlingen ist 1608 ein Hans Kurtz, gen. Lang. (Im Totenbuch 1630 Hans Kurtz gen. Langhans): DG. LXXV, 726f. - 1316 zu Feuerbach (Stuttgart) ein Weingärtner ,,der Kurze, des Langen sun": ZfGO. XVIII, 443.]
• [Kürze < Flurn. K. (entsprechend dem häufigeren Flurn. Länge), ,,in der (auf der) K.". 1314 Berthold dictus K., Zinsmann zu Binsdorf (Sulz): RUB. 39.]

 

Meertens Instituut:

Research and documentation of Dutch language and culture website and is a research institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Korte

Name-records and bibliographical references:

• Willem Corte, Brugge 1269 = Willem die Corte, 1269 [K. Roelandts, 'Het Corpus van Middelnederlandse ambtelijke teksten', in: Naamkunde 11 (1979), p 27].
• Geert Korte, Collendoorn (gem. Hardenberg) 1474 (schattingsregister van Salland) [H. van Biessum, De markte Lutten door de eeuwen heen, Wezep 1996, p 27].
• Geert Alberts Korte, geb. Oude Pekela 1801, huw. Blijham 1828 [G.L. Nobbe, 'Woar bist doe aine van? Kwartierstaat van Gerhardus L. Nobbe', in: Ts. Westerwolde 21 (2000), nr 4, p 97].

Characteristics: adjective

Specific components: e

See: Kort, de

The quantity of namesakes and the distribution per province according to the census taken in 1947:

Groningen 235; Friesland 13; Drenthe 31; Overijssel 150; Gelderland 18; Utrecht 16; Amsterdam 115; Noord-Holland 34; Noord-Holland totaal 149; Den Haag 64; Rotterdam 11; Zuid-Holland 28; Zuid-Holland totaal 103; Zeeland 0; Noord-Brabant 33; Limburg 5; totaal 753

From this analysis of the Korte distribution it can be seen that the majority are found in the Northern province of Groningen.

 

The Surnames of Scotland:

By George F. Black.

Page 432.

Little.

A descriptive name, in Latin documents rendered parvus, 'little, small.' French petit (of unknown origin) is also used in old documents as an equivalent. Hugo parvus, clericus regis, in reign of William the Lion (Melros, page 32). Hugo parvus, burgess of Dundee, circa 1202RAA, I, page 96). R. parvus, chaplain, witnessed a charter in favour of the Hospital of Soltre, between 1214-40 (Soltre, page 19). John Litill . . .

Pages 724, 725.

Short, Shortt,

Apparently a descriptive name, from the diminutive size of the original bearer or bearers, Middle English s(c)hort. It is also sometimes used as an Englishing of Gair, q.v. In Latin documents the name is rendered parvus, e.g. c. 1220 William parvus witnessed a charter by Malcolm, earl of Angus (Registorum abbacie de Aberbrothoc, I, page 331). John Schort and Roger Schort were vicars ministrant "In choro Glasguensi" in 1410 (Liber collegii Nostre Domine, page 237). John Parvus, 'husband,' in ville de Tullibothy, 1437 (Miscellany of the Spalding Club, V, page 261). Robert Schorte, witness in Glasgow, 1552 (Protocols, I), James Schorte, bailie of Stirling, 1596 (Stirling Burgh Records, page 281). Anderson (Scottish Nation) says a Dumfriesshire family named Shortt is supposed to have come originally from Holland. Alexander Short in Blackgrange was excommunicated for disobedience in Logie, 1600 (Logie Parish History, I, page 84).

Page 733.

Small.

No mention of Parvus, or Brevit

 

A Dictionary of British Surnames:

By P.H. Reaney.

Page 80.

Court, Courts, Corte, Curt:

1. William de la Curt, de la Cort, 1242, Inquisitions Post Mortem (Shropshire). . . . From residence or employment at a large house or manor-house, castle, from Old French cort, curt, Middle English curt, courte . . .
2. Reginald Corte, 1181, Pipe Rolls (Suffolk); Richard le Curt, 1199, Feet of Fines (Surrey); Richard le Cort, 1279, Rotuli Hundredorum (Oxfordshire). Old French curt 'short, small'.

Page 85.

Curtin. Robert le Curten, 1275, Rotuli Hundredorum (Norfolk); Robert Curtyn 1311 Colchester Court Rolls. A diminutive of Old French curt 'short'. . . .

Page 202.

Little, Littell, Lytle, Lyttle. Eadric Litle, 972, Old English Bynames by Tengvik (Northumberland); Lefstan Litle, circa 1095, Bury (Suffolk); Thomas le Lytle, 1296, Subsidy Rolls for Sussex. Old English lytel 'little'.

Page 294.

Short, Shortt. Ordric Scort, 1176, Pipe Rolls of Dorset; Richard le Sorte, 1269, Assize Rolls for Somerset; William Short, 1327, Subsidy Rolls for Sussex. Old English sceort 'short'.

Page299.

Smale, Smales, Small, Smalles, Smalls, Smeal, Smeall. William Smale, 1221, Ely Assize Rolls (Cambridgeshire); . . . Old English smael 'small, slender, thin'. . . .

 

The Penguin Dictionary of Surnames:

By Basil Cottle.

Page 220.

Little. Nickname 'little' Old English. Chiefly a Cumberland-Westmorland-Northumberland surname, but found all over England.

Page 343.

Short. Nickname 'short' Old English. A surname scattered from Northumberland to the southwest.

Page 349.

Small. Nickname. 'thin, slender' and less often 'small' Old English'. Guppy counted it only in Somerset, Worcestershire, Nottinghamshire. Smalls 'son of Small'.

 

A Dictionary of Surnames:

By Mark A. Lower.

Page 70.

Cort. Probably the Old Norse kortr, short.

Page 196.

Little:

1. A person of dimminutive stature. Like the French Le Petit, the German Klein, &c.
2. Perhaps the same as Liddell.

Page 314.

Short. From diminutive stature. It bears the same orthography in H.R.

Page 318.

Smale and Small. Diminutive in person - equivalent to Little, Petit, &c.

 

Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames:

By Charles W. Bardsley.

Page 488.

Little, Littell, Lytle, Litel, Lytell, Lyttle - Nickname 'the little'; compare Bigg, Small and Long. Sometimes affixed as a sobriquet on the least of two bearing the same name. . . . Johannes Tailliour, parws (i.e. parvus), 1379, Poll Tax Yorkshire, page 278; . . .

Page 687.

Short, Shortt.

Nickname. 'the short,' of low stature; compare Long and Lang, Little &c. William Short, Suffolk, 1273; Hundred Rolls. Richard le Shorte, circa 1300; Writs of Parliament. . . .

Page 697.

Smale, Small.

Nickname. 'the small'; compare Large, Bigg, Little, &c. Robert le Small, Huntingdonshire, 1273; Hundred Rolls. . . .

 

A Dictionary of Surnames:

By Patrick Hanks & Flavia Hodges. 1988. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-211592-8

Court

1. English and French : Occupational name or habitation name from Old French, Middle English court(e), curt court (Latin cohors, genitive cohortis, yard, enclosure). This word was used primarily with reference to the residence of the lord of a manor, and the surname is usually an occupational name for someone employed at a manorial court.
2. English : nickname from Old French, Middle English curt short, small (Latin curtus curtailed, truncated, cut short, broken off).

Variants: English: Corte, Curt. (of 1 only): English: A'Court (with Anglo-Norman French preposition); Courtman. See also Courtier. French: Cour; Lacour(t), Laco(u)rte; De(la)cour(t).

Cognates (of 1): Italian: Corte, Corti; La Corte (Sicily); Della Corte, Dalla Corte. Catalan: Cort(s). (of 2): French: Lecourt. Italian: (Lo)-Curto, Curti. Catatalan: Curt. Portuguese: Curto. Rumanian: Skurtul. German: Kur((t)z(e) (Latinized as Curtius). Low German: Kort(e) (see also Konrad). Dutch: Kkorte, De Kort.

Diminutives (of 1): Italian: Cortella, Cortello, Cortell(ett)i, Cortellino, Cort(ell)ini; Corticelli (Bologna). Spanish: Cortina(s), Cortijo. Catalan: Cortina(s). (Of 2): Catalan: Curtó. See also Curtin and Curzon.

Pejorative (of 2): French: Courtauld.

Patronymics (from 2): English: Courts. French: Aucourt. Italian: De Curti(s), Di Curti. Low German: Ko(h)rts. Flemish: Corten(s).

 

Short

1. English: nickname for a person of low stature, from Middle English schort, Old English sceort short.
2. Irish: translation of Gaelic Mac an Ghirr; see McGirr.

Variants (of 1): Shortman (Somerset). (of 2): Shortt.

Comparative (of 1): Shorter.

 

The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland:

By Patrick Hanks, Richard Coates, and Peter McClure. 2016. Oxford University Press. ISBN-13: 9780199677764

Court 
Variants: Curt, Cort, Courts, Corte
• Current frequencies: GB 5406, Ireland 36
• GB frequency 1881: 3797
• Main GB location 1881: Kent and London; Somerset; Warwicks and Worcs

1. English: locative name, nickname from Middle English curt , courte ‘large house’, denoting someone who lived or worked in a manor house or castle. Compare Acourt and Courtman.
Early bearers:
William de la Curt, de la Cort, 1242 in Inquisitiones post Mortem (Shrops); William de la Court, 1296 in Subsidy Rolls (Sussex); Michaelis de la Court, 1381 in Poll Tax (Theydon Garnon, Essex); Robertus atte Court', 1381 in Poll Tax (Ascott, Oxon); Francis de Court, 1413 in PROB 11 (Austin Friars, City of London); Johannes Court, 1502 in PROB 11 (Tewkesbury, Gloucs); Walter Court, 1642 in PROB 11 (Wootton Courtney, Somerset).

2. English: nickname from Middle English ‘short, small’ (Old French co(u)rt , curt ).
Early bearers:
Reginald Corte, 1181 in Pipe Rolls (Suffolk); Richard le Curt, 1199 in Feet of Fines (Surrey); Richard le Cort, 1279 in Hundred Rolls (Oxon); Richardi Court, 1541 in IGI (Tredington, Warwicks); Thomas Court, 1560 in IGI (Singleton, Sussex); Joice Court, 1571 in IGI (Abberley, Worcs); Richard Court, 1576 in IGI (Bristol, Gloucs); Katharine Court, 1577 in IGI(Mamhead, Devon).

3. Irish: reduced form of Irish McCourt (Mac Cuairt or Mac Cuarta).

 

Short 
Variants: Shortt, Shirt, Shorts
• Current frequencies: GB 16018, Ireland 410
• GB frequency 1881: 11555
• Main GB location 1881: widespread: esp. Devon
• Main Irish location 1847–64: Armagh; Dublin; Tipperary

1. English: nickname from Middle English short ‘short’ (Old English sceort ), for a short person.
Early bearers:
Southern England
Ordric Scort, 1176 in Pipe Rolls (Dorset); Richard le Sorte, 1269 in Assize Rolls (Somerset); Johanne Schort, 1327 in Subsidy Rolls (Piddletrenthide, Dorset); Richard Shorte, 1332 in Subsidy Rolls (Parracombe, Devon); Gervase Schorte, 1332 in Subsidy Rolls (Modbury, Devon); Galfridus Short, 1379 in Poll Tax (Kenninghall, Norfolk); John Shorte, 1592 in PROB 11 (Holy Trinity Exeter, Devon); William Shorte, 1596 in PROB 11 (Gussage All Saints, Dorset); John Shorte, 1601 in PROB 11 (Welford, Gloucs).

Northern England
Johannes Schort, 1377 in Poll Tax (Newton, Northumb); Johan Schort, 1377 in Poll Tax (Newton, Northumb); Johan Schort’, 1377 in Poll Tax (Snitter, Northumb); Willelmus Short, 1379 in Poll Tax (Lancs); Alicia Schort’, 1379 in Poll Tax (Bickerton, WR Yorks); Willelmus Schort, 1379 in Poll Tax (Leathley, WR Yorks); Thomas Shorte, 1379 in Poll Tax (Hatfield, WR Yorks); John Shorte, 1606 in IGI (Braithwell, WR Yorks); Alexander Short, 1617 in IGI (Kirkham, Lancs); Robert Short, 1688 in IGI (Earsdon by North Shields, Northumb).

2. English: locative name for someone who lived at a detached or cut-off piece of land (Middle English shurte, shorte, shirte, sherte from Old English *scierte, *scerte, *scyrte) or from a place so named such as Shoart in Harbeldown (Kent) and Shuart in Saint Nicholas at Wade (Kent). Compare the synonymous Shorter. Some of the following early bearers without a preposition may alternatively belong under (1).
Early bearers:
Godwin de la Sirte, 1179 in Pipe Rolls (Surrey); John atte Shurte, 1296 in Subsidy Rolls (Petworth, Sussex); William Short, 1327 in Subsidy Rolls (Berwick, Sussex); Johanne Short, 1379 in Poll Tax (Tangmere, Sussex); Willelmus Short, 1381 in Poll Tax (Saint Paul, Kent); Willelmus and Johannes Schort, 1381 in Poll Tax (Canterbury, Kent); John Sherthe, 1433 in Feet of Fines (Kent); Peter Short, 1587 in PROB 11 (Tenterden, Kent); Joanne Shorte, 1592 in PROB 11 (Climping, Sussex).

References:
Kent Place-Names pp. 498, 605.

3. (Irish, Scottish Gaelic) : adopted for Mac an Gheairr, Mac an Ghirr ‘son of the short man’, see McGirr, McGarr.