Total births
16,923
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.
- 16,923
- total births
- 1963–2023
- years on record
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 42%
- born in that 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.
- 16,923 total births
- 1963–2023 years on record
- 1980s peak decade
- 42% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
16,923 girls have been named Cortney since 1963, peaking in the 1980s, last recorded in 2023.
- 16,923
- total births
- 1963–2023
- years on record
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 42%
- born in that decade
1980s
Peak decade
42% of everyone ever named Cortney was born in this single decade.
1990
Single peak year
1,261 babies were named Cortney in 1990 - its busiest year on record.
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 at a glance
Last recorded 2023Peak year
1990
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1963
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
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
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 vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
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% |
California share of Cortney's total US births 7.6%
Even split
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? ▼
16,923 babies have been named Cortney since 1963. It was last recorded in 2023. The peak year was 1990 with 1,261 births.
When was Cortney most popular? ▼
Cortney was most popular in the 1980s decade with 7,054 total births. The single peak year was 1990.
Where is Cortney most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Cortney are California (1,288 births), Texas (1,133 births), Ohio (1,022 births).
Is Cortney a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Cortney is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 16,923 births, and as a boy's name it has 3,173 births.
How long has the name Cortney been used? ▼
Records for Cortney go back to 1963, giving 61 years of history through 2023.
What names are similar to Cortney? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Cora, Corinne, Cornelia, Corrine, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
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
- 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 Cortney
Nearby Names Like Cortney
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Cortney
Cora Girl
#103 156,028 births
Corinne Girl
#1087 49,877 births
Cornelia Girl
#3822 22,076 births
Corrine Girl
#4298 20,831 births
Corina Girl
#2893 15,925 births
Compare Cortney side by side: Cortney vs Cora Cortney vs Corinne Cortney vs Cornelia
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Carley #3054
16,918 births · Peak 1998
Addyson #1339
16,897 births · Peak 2010
Nanette
16,894 births · Peak 1957
Consuelo #6658
16,955 births · Peak 1928
Suzette #4686
16,963 births · Peak 1964
Aylin #387
16,872 births · Peak 2015
Sharron
16,856 births · Peak 1943
Jacklyn #2862
16,997 births · Peak 1987
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, 1963–2023 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Cortney: Baby Name Since 1963 - 16,923 Births, Peak 1990." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/cortney. 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 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 June 2026.