Total births
2,145
Boys' name · since 1913
Cortland
Cortland has 2,145 recorded births since 1913 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2011 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #5264
- among boys today
- 2,145
- born since 1913
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 63%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Cortland is the #5264 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 2,145 recorded since 1913.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Cortland has been recorded 2,145 times among boys since 1913, currently ranked #5264 nationally and more common than 63% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1990s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1913 to 2025.
- #5264 among boys today
- 2,145 born since 1913
- 1990s peak decade
- 63% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Cortland is currently the #5264 boys' name in America, more common than 63% of boys - 2,145 born since 1913, peaking in the 1990s.
- #5264
- among boys today
- 2,145
- born since 1913
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 63%
- more common than other boys
Cortland vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#5264
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 63% of names given to boys today.
1990s
Peak decade
23% of everyone ever named Cortland was born in this single decade.
2011
Single peak year
62 babies were named Cortland in 2011 - its busiest year on record.
How Cortland compares
2,145 Top 20% higher than 80% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Cortland's all-time total is 6x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Cortland | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 2,145 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 62 | 23 | 22,252 |
Cortland's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Cortland's full recorded timeline at 1971, 77% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 23% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1913, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2011 peak of 62 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Cortland at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2011
Current rank
#5,264
Active since
1913
Cortland popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1913–2025
- Peak year (2011)
- 62
- Annual births at peak, across 113 years of records
Cortland popularity over time - girls
49 total births recorded since 1994 (Cortland as girls' name)
Cortland by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Cortland's strongest decade.
493 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 23% of all-time use.
Cortland births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 73
1910s
73 births
- 1920s 73
1920s
73 births
- 1930s 68
1930s
68 births
- 1940s 87
1940s
87 births
- 1950s 84
1950s
84 births
- 1960s 89
1960s
89 births
- 1970s 86
1970s
86 births
- 1980s 195
1980s
195 births
- 1990s
1990s
493 births
- 2000s
2000s
327 births
- 2010s
2010s
420 births
- 2020s 150
2020s
150 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 493 births (23% of all-time use).
How Cortland compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Cortland's total volume
Cortland vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Cortland by state
Where Cortland concentrates geographically, total births since 1913
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 69 | 3.2% |
| #2 | Tennessee | | 28 | 1.3% |
| #3 | California | | 23 | 1.1% |
| #4 | New York | | 19 | 0.9% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 10 | 0.5% |
| #6 | Georgia | | 5 | 0.2% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 5 | 0.2% |
| #8 | Indiana | | 5 | 0.2% |
Texas share of Cortland's total US births 3.2%
Even split
69 of 2,145 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 11 reporting states.
Cortland appears in 11 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Cortland? ▼
Since 1913, Social Security records show 2,145 babies named Cortland. Today it holds rank #5264 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 2011, with 62 births.
When was Cortland most popular? ▼
Cortland was most popular in the 1990s decade with 493 total births. The single peak year was 2011.
Where is Cortland most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Cortland are Texas (69 births), Tennessee (28 births), California (23 births).
How long has the name Cortland been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Cortland since 1913 -- 113 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Cortland? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Corey, Cory, Corbin, Cornelius, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Cortland's data
- Cortland's decade-level peak was the 1990s (493 total births); usage has since declined to 150 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Cortlands (69 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Cortland
Nearby Names Like Cortland
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Cortland
Corey Boy
#677 185,020 births
Cory Boy
#1096 127,179 births
Corbin Boy
#474 41,112 births
Cornelius Boy
#2157 36,407 births
Cornell Boy
#4438 11,347 births
Compare Cortland side by side: Cortland vs Corey Cortland vs Cory Cortland vs Corbin
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Cortland
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1913–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Cortland: #5264 Boys' Name - 2,145 Births, Peak 2011." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/cortland. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Cortland draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.