Cortés (Castilian, Galician, Valencian), Cortês (Portuguese), Cortès (Catalan) is a surname of Spanish and Portuguese origin, respectively. The surname derived from the Old French corteis or curteis, meaning 'courteous' or 'polite',[1] and is related to the English Curtis.
The surname has become more frequent among Romani people in Spain than among the general Spanish population.[2]
Notable people surnamed either Cortes or Cortés include:
Music
- Aracy Cortes (1904–1985), Brazilian singer
- Carlos Núñez Cortés (born 1942), Argentine musician
- Edmundo Villani-Côrtes (born 1930), Brazilian musical artist
- Garðar Thór Cortes (born 1974), Icelandic tenor
- Getúlio Côrtes (born 1938), Brazilian musical artist
- Lula Côrtes (1949–2011), Brazilian musician
- Montse Cortés (born 1972), Spanish flamenco singer
- Pamela Cortes, Ecuadorian singer, actress and dancer
- Ramiro Cortés (1933–1984), American composer
- Santiago Cortés (musician), Latino-Swiss musician and composer
- Sergio Iván Esquivel Cortés (1946–2021), Mexican singer-songwriter
- Rodrigo Cortés (born 1973), Spanish film director, film producer, screenwriter and film editor
- Tony Cortes (born 1968), Cuban American actor and TV host
- Yara Cortes (1921–2002), Brazilian actress
Other arts and entertainment
- Alfonso Cortés (1893–1969), Nicaraguan poet
- Ana Cortés (1895–1998), Chilean painter
- Bernardo Cortés (1934–2017), Spanish writer, humorist, singer and songwriter
- Carmina Useros Cortés (1928–2017), Spanish author
- Édouard Cortès (1882-1969) French Post-Impressionist painter
- Esperanza Cortes (born 1957), American visual artist
- Gustavo Couttolenc Cortés (1921–2015), Mexican writer and academic
- Jesús Carranza Cortés, Mexican potter
- Joaquín Cortés (born 1969), Spanish flamenco dancer
- Liliana Angulo Cortés (born 1974), Colombian visual artist
- Ney Yépez Cortés (born 1968), Ecuadorian writer
- Ricardo Cortés (illustrator) (born 1973), illustrator and author
- Sonya Cortés (born 1962), Puerto Rican entertainer
- Adriana Fuentes Cortés (born 1968), Mexican politician
- Alberto Baltra Cortés (1912–1981), Chilean politician and economist
- Altineu Côrtes (born 1968), Brazilian politician and businessman
- Bob Cortes (born 1963), politician in the Florida House of Representatives
- David Cortés (politician) (1955–2015), Bolivian politician
- David Bonilla Cortés (born 1974), Puerto Rican politician
- Hilario Sánchez Cortés (born 1957), Mexican politician
- John Cortes (Gibraltarian politician), member of the Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party
- John Cortes (Florida politician) (born 1961), politician in the Florida House of Representatives
- Jonas Cortes (born 1966), Filipino politician
- José Cortés López (1883–1958), Spanish magistrate and politician
- Judith Pallarés i Cortés (born 1972), Andorran politician
- León Cortés Castro (1882–1946), Costa Rica politician
- Luz Virginia Cortés (born 1976), Mexican politician
- Manuel Cortés Quero (1906-1991), Spanish politician
- Mario Mendoza Cortés (1968–2015), Mexican politician
- Pedro Cortés (born 1966), Puerto Rican politician
- Rosalío Cortés (1820–1884), 35th President of Nicaragua
- Santiago Pedro Cortés (born 1954), Mexican politician
- Sara Isabel Castellanos Cortés (born 1946), Mexican politician
- Yulenny Cortés León (born 1976), Mexican politician
- Adrián Cortés (born 1983), Mexican footballer
- Ascanio Cortés (1914–1998), Chilean footballer
- Brandon Cortés (born 2001), Argentine-Chilean footballer
- Brayan Cortés (born 1995), Chilean footballer
- Bruno Cortês (born 1987), Brazilian footballer
- Bryan Cortés (born 1991), Chilean footballer
- César Cortés (born 1984), Chilean footballer
- David Cortés (Colombian footballer) (born 1992), Colombian footballer
- David Cortés (Spanish footballer) (born 1979), Spanish footballer
- Deyman Cortés (born 2000), Colombian footballer
- Diego Cortés (born 1998), Mexican footballer
- Eduardo Cortes (born 1993), Mexican footballer
- Efraín Cortés (born 1984), Colombian footballer
- Fabián Núñez Cortés (born 1992), Chilean footballer
- Félix Cortés (born 1989), Chilean footballer
- Fernando Cortés (footballer) (born 1988), Mexican footballer
- Fran Cortés (born 1986), Spanish footballer
- Gerardo Cortés (born 1988), a Chilean footballer
- Gilberto Cortés (born 1995), Colombian footballer
- Javier Cortés (born 1989), Mexican footballer
- José Cortés (footballer) (born 1994), Colombian footballer
- Julio César Cortés (born 1941), Uruguayan footballer and coach
- Kevin Manzano Cortés (born 1999), Spanish footballer
- Martín Miguel Cortés (born 1983), Argentine footballer
- Maurício Cortés (born 1997), Colombian footballer
- Nilson Cortes (born 1977), Colombian footballer
- Oriol Cortes (born 1989), Spanish footballer
- Óscar Cortés (footballer, born 1968 or 1970), Colombian footballer
- Rafael García Cortés (born 1958), Spanish footballer
- Ramiro Cortés (footballer) (1931–2016), Chilean footballer
- Ranulfo Cortés (born 1934), Mexican footballer
- Roberto Cortés (Chilean footballer) (1902–1975), Chilean football goalkeeper
- Roberto Carlos Cortés (born 1977), Colombian football defender
- Róger Cortés (born 2000), Costa Rican footballer
- Santiago Cortés (footballer) (1945–2011), El Salvadoran footballer
- Víctor Cortés (born 1976), Colombian footballer
- Walter Cortés (born 2000), Costa Rican footballer
Other sports
- Alejandro Cortés (born 1977), Colombian road cyclist
- Beatriz Gómez Cortés (born 1994), Spanish Olympic swimmer
- Cecelia Cortes (born 1989), professional squash player
- Federico Cortés (born 1937), Argentine cyclist
- Gaston Cortes (born 1985), Argentinian international rugby union player
- Gerardo Cortes Sr. (1928–?), a Chilean modern pentathlete
- Gerardo Cortes Jr. (born 1959), a Chilean modern pentathlete, and son of Gerardo Cortes Sr.
- Jaime Cortés (born 1964), Colombian tennis player
- Jesús Iglesias Cortés (born 1968), Spanish swimmer
- Máximo Cortés (born 1988), Spanish racing driver
- Omar Cortés (born 1977), Spanish gymnast
- Onix Cortés (born 1988), Cuban judoka
- Peter Cortes (born 1947), American rower
- Phil Cortes (born 1982), Canadian racing cyclist
- Ramiro Cortés (basketball) (1931–1977), Uruguayan basketball player
- Ricardo Cortés (born 1980), Mexican boxer
- Sergio Cortés (born 1968), Chilean tennis player
- Beltrán Cortés (1908–1984), Costa Rican murderer
- Corinna Cortes (born 1961), Danish computer scientist
- Enric Cortès (born 1939), Catalan Capuchin and biblical scholar
- Ernesto Cortes, American community activist
- Irene Cortes (1921–1996), Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines
- Jorge Cortés, Spanish academic engineer
- José Cortés de Madariaga (1766-1826), Chilean patriot
- José Muñoz Cortés (1948–1997), Greek clergyman
- Juan Donoso Cortés (1809-1853), Spanish counter-revolutionary, author, and theologian
- Luis G. Cortes, Spanish chess player
- Manuel Cortes (born 1967), British trade unionist
- Margarita Letelier Cortés, Chilean entrepreneur
- Martín Cortés de Albacar (1510–1582), Spanish cosmographer
- Martín Cortés (son of Malinche) (1523–?), son of Hernán Cortés and La Malinche
- Martín Cortés, 2nd Marqués del Valle de Oaxaca (1532–1589), Spanish noble, son of Hernán Cortes
- Oralia Garza de Cortes, librarian, advocate, and bibliographer
- Xavier Cortés Rocha (born 1943), Mexican architect and former rector of the UNAM
Diccionario de apellidos españoles, Roberto Faure, María Asunción Ribes, Antonio García, Editorial Espasa, Madrid 2001. ISBN 84-239-2289-8. Section III.3.8 page XXXIX.