Unisex name · since 1963
Cortney
16,923 babies named Cortney in U.S. Social Security records since 1963, with the highest year being 1990. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #1,176 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 16,923
- born since 1963
- 1980s
- peak decade
16,923 girls have been named Cortney since 1963, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
Social Security Administration records show Cortney recorded 16,923 times among girls since 1963, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used girls names, peaking in the 1980s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1963 to 2023.
- #1,176 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 16,923 born since 1963
- 1980s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Cortney ranks #1,176 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 16,923 born since 1963, peaking in the 1980s.
- #1,176 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 16,923
- born since 1963
- 1980s
- peak decade
Cortney's 16,923 recorded births place it above 98.37% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
48 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
Cortney's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Cortney's full recorded timeline at 1993, 29% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 71% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1963, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1990 peak of 1,261 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Cortney popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1963–2023
- Peak year (1990)
- 1,261
- Annual births at peak, across 61 years of records
Cortney popularity over time - boys
3,173 total births recorded since 1943 (Cortney as boys' name)
Cortney by decade
1980s is the heaviest window (7,054 births, 42% of the file).
1980s was Cortney's strongest decade.
7,054 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 42% of all-time use.
Cortney births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1960s 100
1960s
100 births
- 1970s 1,838
1970s
1,838 births
- 1980s
1980s
7,054 births
- 1990s
1990s
6,525 births
- 2000s 1,220
2000s
1,220 births
- 2010s 170
2010s
170 births
- 2020s 16
2020s
16 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 7,054 births (42% of all-time use).
How Cortney compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Cortney's total volume
Cortney by state
Where Cortney concentrates geographically, total births since 1963
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 1,288 | 7.6% |
| #2 | Texas | | 1,133 | 6.7% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 1,022 | 6.0% |
| #4 | Michigan | | 885 | 5.2% |
| #5 | Pennsylvania | | 869 | 5.1% |
| #6 | New York | | 758 | 4.5% |
| #7 | Florida | | 648 | 3.8% |
| #8 | Illinois | | 608 | 3.6% |
1,288 of 16,923 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 48 reporting states.
Cortney appears in 48 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Cortney? ▼
Where does Cortney sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Cortney most popular? ▼
Where is Cortney most popular? ▼
Is Cortney a unisex name? ▼
How long has the name Cortney been used? ▼
What names are similar to Cortney? ▼
What to do with Cortney's data
- Cortney's decade-level peak was the 1980s (7,054 total births); usage has since declined to 16 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Cortneys (1,288 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Cortney
Nearby Names Like Cortney
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Cortney
Compare Cortney side by side: Cortney vs Cora Cortney vs Corinne Cortney vs Cornelia
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Cortney: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1990)
Similar record span (~60 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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, 1963–2023 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
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 Cortney 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 August 2026.