Curtis

See also: curtis, curtís, and curtìš

English

Alternative forms

• (surname): Curtiss

Etymology

From Old French corteis and curteis (Modern French courtois (“polite, courteous”). Doublet of courteous.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈkɝtɪs/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈkɜːtɪs/

Proper noun

Curtis

1. An English surname transferred from the nickname, originally a nickname for a refined or courtly person.
2. A male given name transferred from the surname.
   • c. 1590–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Taming of the Shrew”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i]:

     A cold world, Curtis, in every office but thine; and therefore, fire.

   • 1843 April, Thomas Carlyle, “chapter IV, Happy”, in Past and Present, American edition, Boston, Mass.: Charles C[offin] Little and James Brown, published 1843, →OCLC, book III (The Modern Worker):

     The night once come, our happiness, our unhappiness, — it is all abolished; vanished, clean gone; a thing that has been: ‘not of the slightest consequence’ whether we were happy as eupeptic Curtis, as the fattest pig of Epicurus, or unhappy as job with potsherds, as musical Byron with Giaours and sensibilities of the heart […]

   • 1999, Bernie Runstedler, Jr., Breezes Against My Brow, General Store Publishing House., →ISBN, page 77:

     Without undue haste, we named him Curtis simply because we liked the name. It seemed to suit the little guy too. Knowing my love of aviation, several friends and relatives wrongly assumed we have named him after the Curtiss Aircraft Company. I hadn't thought of this, but it was a great idea. There are some terrific aircraft company names to choose. You'll see the likes of Douglas, Martin, Edwards, Ryan, Miles and Albert just to name a few.

3. A number of places in the United States:
   1. An unincorporated community in Gilchrist County, Florida.
   2. An unincorporated community in Portage Township, Mackinac County, Michigan.
   3. A township in Alcona County, Michigan.
   4. A minor city in Frontier County, Nebraska.
   5. An unincorporated community in Lewis County, Washington.
4. A municipality in A Coruña province, Galicia, Spain.

Related terms

• Curt
• Kurt
• Kurtis
• Thornton Curtis

Anagrams

• Citrus, Turcis, citrus, rictus, rustic