Explore the Family Name Court

The meaning of Court

1. English: topographic or occupational name from Middle English curt, court ‘large house’ (a word of the same ultimately Latin origin as 2 below), denoting someone who lived or worked in a manor house or castle, a courtly retainer. 2. French: topographic name from Old French co(u)rt ‘court, farmyard’ (from Latin cohors, cors, genitive cohortis, cortis ‘court, farmyard, enclosure’). 3. English and French: nickname for a physically small man, or ironically for a large man, from the adjective Middle English curt, Old French co(u)rt ‘short, small’ (from Latin curtus ‘curtailed, truncated, cut short, broken off’). Compare French Lecourt. 4. Irish: shortened form of McCourt.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Court in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname 'Court' witnessed slight changes between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, the surname ranked 11,446 in terms of popularity but slipped to 12,289 in 2010, showing a decline by 7.37%. However, the count of individuals bearing the 'Court' name rose marginally from 2,525 in 2000 to 2,530 in 2010, reflecting a 0.2% increase. The proportion per 100,000 people also saw a decrease, dropping from 0.94 to 0.86, marking an 8.51% reduction.

20002010Change
Rank#11,446#12,289-7.37%
Count2,5252,5300.2%
Proportion per 100k0.940.86-8.51%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Court

As for the ethnic identity associated with the Court surname, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data, there were some noticeable shifts between 2000 and 2010. The ethnicity seeing the most significant growth was Asian/Pacific Islander, increasing from 0.36% to 0.59%, a rise of 63.89%. Similarly, the American Indian and Alaskan Native category experienced a 53.57% growth, from 0.28% to 0.43%. Conversely, the Black group saw a decrease of 5.65%, falling from 2.30% to 2.17%. The Hispanic portion also declined by 4.35%, moving from 4.83% to 4.62%. Meanwhile, those identifying as Two or More Races slightly decreased by 0.74%, and the White group showed little change, decreasing only from 90.89% to 90.83%.

20002010Change
White90.89%90.83%-0.07%
Hispanic4.83%4.62%-4.35%
Black2.3%2.17%-5.65%
Two or More Races1.35%1.34%-0.74%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.36%0.59%63.89%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.28%0.43%53.57%

Court ancestry composition

23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Court is British & Irish, which comprises 54.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (23.1%) and Eastern European (5.5%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, Italian, Nigerian, and Greek & Balkan.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
British & Irish54.0%
French & German23.1%
Eastern European5.5%
Other17.4%
Court

Possible origins of the surname Court

Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.

Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Court have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Glasgow City, United Kingdom85.90%
West Midlands, United Kingdom85.90%
Lancashire, United Kingdom85.90%
South Yorkshire, United Kingdom85.90%
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom85.90%

What Court haplogroups can tell you

Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.

The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Court is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-Z381 and I-M223, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Fey, Pitt, Renner, Brehm, Timmerman, Vandenberg, Boss, Andresen, Gunther, Shaw.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Court surname are: H1, U2_3_4_7_8_9, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

courtPaternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343

Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette

Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Court have in common?

Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.

Preferences

Court

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Court" Surname 38.7%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Court

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"Court" Surname 31.5%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Court

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Court" Surname 19.5%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Court

Migraine

A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

"Court" Surname 14.0%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Court?

The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.

Disease variant frequency by ancestry

Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Court are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Y402H variant

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss among older adults. The disease results in damage to the central part of the retina (the macula), impairing vision needed for reading, driving, or even recognizing faces. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the two most common variants associated with an increased risk of developing the condition: the Y402H variant in the CFH gene and the A69S variant in the ARMS2 gene. Learn more about Age-Related Macular Degeneration

British & Irish 62.1%

23andMe Users 57.2%