NameCensus.

UK surname

Curtiss

Derived from the Old French "curteis," meaning courteous or polite, originally referring to someone well-mannered or refined.

In the 1881 census there were 459 people recorded with the Curtiss surname, ranking it #7,225 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 207, ranked #19,118, down from #7,225 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Sutton and Stoneferry, Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside and Lowick. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Staffordshire, County Durham and Warwick.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Curtiss is 493 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 54.9%.

1881 census count

459

Ranked #7,225

Modern count

207

2016, ranked #19,118

Peak year

1901

493 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Curtiss had 459 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,225 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 207 in 2016, ranked #19,118.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 493 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Curtiss surname distribution map

The map shows where the Curtiss surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Curtiss surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Curtiss over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 360 #6,569
1861 historical 341 #7,479
1881 historical 459 #7,225
1891 historical 380 #9,231
1901 historical 493 #8,133
1911 historical 295 #11,597
1997 modern 227 #16,267
1998 modern 245 #15,903
1999 modern 255 #15,599
2000 modern 247 #15,864
2001 modern 232 #16,314
2002 modern 228 #16,828
2003 modern 229 #16,601
2004 modern 220 #17,129
2005 modern 219 #17,126
2006 modern 214 #17,507
2007 modern 206 #18,142
2008 modern 208 #18,171
2009 modern 204 #18,779
2010 modern 217 #18,443
2011 modern 214 #18,436
2012 modern 213 #18,422
2013 modern 208 #19,041
2014 modern 209 #19,128
2015 modern 207 #19,155
2016 modern 207 #19,118

Geography

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Where Curtiss' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Sutton and Stoneferry, Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Lowick, London parishes and Portsmouth, Portsea. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Staffordshire, County Durham, Warwick and Canterbury. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Sutton and Stoneferry Yorkshire, East Riding
2 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
3 Lowick Northamptonshire
4 London parishes London 3
5 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Staffordshire 003 South Staffordshire
2 County Durham 006 County Durham
3 Warwick 004 Warwick
4 County Durham 010 County Durham
5 Canterbury 001 Canterbury

Forenames

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First names often paired with Curtiss

These lists show first names that appear often with the Curtiss surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Curtiss

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Curtiss, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Curtiss surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Curtiss household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Curtiss is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Curtiss is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Curtiss falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Curtiss is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Curtiss, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Curtiss

The surname CURTISS originated in England and dates back to the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "curteis" which means courteous or well-mannered. The name is thought to have initially referred to a person with refined or polite manners.

Early variations of the spelling included Curteys, Curtays, and Curteis. The name is believed to have first appeared in records in Norfolk, England around 1182. One of the earliest recorded instances was Richard le Curteys who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk in 1195.

The Hundred Rolls of 1273 contained several entries for people with this surname concentrated in areas like Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Bedfordshire. This suggests the name had spread throughout central and southern England by the late 13th century.

In the 14th century, the surname appeared in the famous Domesday Book of 1381 which listed poll tax payers. Examples from this record include William Curteys from Yorkshire and John Curtays from Suffolk. By this time, the spelling had become more standardized to the modern CURTISS form.

Notable people throughout history with this last name include:

- Sir William Curtiss (1475-1559), an English member of parliament during the reign of Henry VIII. - John Curtiss (1572-1640), an English Puritan settler who arrived in Massachusetts in 1638. - Sarah Curtiss (1713-1794), one of the earliest female poets and writers in colonial America. - William Curtiss (1807-1881), an American politician who served as Lieutenant Governor of New York. - Glenn Curtiss (1878-1930), a pioneering American aviator and founder of the Curtiss Aeroplane Company.

Many English place names were derived from this surname as well, such as Curtismill Green in Oxfordshire and Curtisknowle in Derbyshire. These likely originated as the lands or properties owned by families with the CURTISS name during the medieval period.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Curtiss families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Curtiss surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Yorkshire leads with 43 Curtiss' recorded in 1881 and an index of 0.98x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 43 0.98x
Lincolnshire 37 5.20x
Norfolk 35 5.12x
Surrey 34 1.57x
Dorset 28 9.59x
Hampshire 25 2.74x
Middlesex 24 0.54x
Staffordshire 24 1.60x
Leicestershire 22 4.46x
Durham 17 1.28x
Derbyshire 15 2.15x
Nottinghamshire 15 2.50x
Suffolk 14 2.58x
Warwickshire 13 1.16x
Worcestershire 13 2.24x
Lancashire 11 0.21x
Gloucestershire 9 1.03x
Somerset 9 1.26x
Huntingdonshire 8 9.06x
Hertfordshire 7 2.28x
Kent 6 0.40x
Monmouthshire 6 1.87x
Sussex 6 0.80x
Buckinghamshire 5 1.86x
Herefordshire 5 2.74x
Cambridgeshire 3 1.06x
Cheshire 3 0.31x
Essex 3 0.34x
Northamptonshire 3 0.72x
Oxfordshire 3 1.09x
Glamorgan 2 0.26x
Wiltshire 2 0.51x
Berkshire 1 0.30x
Cumberland 1 0.26x
Devon 1 0.11x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.71x
Royal Navy 1 1.89x
Shropshire 1 0.26x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Buckland Newton in Dorset leads with 17 Curtiss' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1307.69x.

Place Total Index
Buckland Newton 17 1307.69x
Tugby 14 2641.51x
Pettaugh 13 4333.33x
Portsea 13 7.28x
Camberwell 10 3.52x
Wolverhampton 10 8.66x
Bishopwearmouth 9 7.92x
Kidderminster Borough 9 26.47x
Rothwell 9 101.12x
Aston 8 2.59x
Ludham 8 661.16x
Malden 8 1403.51x
Priston 8 2051.28x
Stilton 8 808.08x
Wheatley 8 526.32x
Great Grimsby 7 15.51x
Harby 7 1296.30x
Middlesbrough 7 12.20x
Sedgeford 7 603.45x
St Pancras London 7 1.96x
Essendon 6 645.16x
Newport 6 39.11x
Swanage 6 166.67x
Tipton 6 13.05x
Doddington 5 2083.33x
Gainsborough 5 29.82x
Gamston 5 1315.79x
Great Yarmouth 5 8.83x
Houghton Le Spring 5 54.64x
Kensington London 5 2.02x
Leicester St Nicholas 5 179.21x
Merrow 5 549.45x
Norwich St James 5 93.11x
Ross 5 68.87x
Walsall Foreign 5 6.45x
Winshill 5 112.61x
Buckingham 4 73.13x
Denny Lodge 4 909.09x
Denton 4 481.93x
Derby St Peter 4 18.03x
Derby St Werburgh 4 9.95x
Ecclesall Bierlow 4 4.46x
Kidderminster Foreign 4 48.72x
Lambeth 4 1.03x
Leeds 4 1.61x
Rampisham 4 909.09x
St George Hanover Square 4 5.10x
St Marylebone London 4 1.68x
Stockton 4 380.95x
Stoke 4 39.10x
Stretford 4 13.77x
Ventnor 4 46.14x
Hilgay 3 116.73x
Islington London 3 0.70x
Liverpool 3 0.94x
Ryde 3 15.31x
Saxelby With Ingleby 3 165.75x
Blankney 2 200.00x
Brighton 2 1.32x
Castle Acre 2 98.52x
Caversham 2 36.36x
Cheltenham 2 2.97x
Filton 2 434.78x
Icklesham 2 151.52x
Kegworth 2 60.98x
Lewisham 2 2.47x
Littleton Drew 2 645.16x
Llantrisant 2 10.25x
Madingley 2 555.56x
Newton In Northwich 2 66.89x
North Coates 2 487.80x
Rippingdale 2 238.10x
Rotherhithe 2 3.64x
Skegness 2 98.04x
Stonehouse 2 40.32x
Willington 2 26.14x
York St George 2 57.64x
Marsham 1 119.05x
Rotherham 1 4.02x
St Mary Within 1 20.92x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Curtiss surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Curtiss surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 31
John 29
George 17
James 11
Thomas 11
Charles 9
Henry 8
Joseph 8
Albert 7
Edward 7
Benjamin 5
Edwin 5
Alfred 4
Frank 4
Robert 4
Walter 4
Arthur 3
Richard 3
Samuel 3
Frederick 2
Harry 2
Isaac 2
Jonathan 2
Matthew 2
Stephen 2
Cornet 1
Cyrus 1
David 1
Dennis 1
Earnest 1
Edwd.Banets 1
Ephram 1
Fredk. 1
Fullard 1
Herbert 1
Jeremiah 1
Joshua 1
Julius 1
Levi 1
Martin 1
Michael 1
Peter 1
Ralph 1
Sam.H. 1
Saul 1
Thompson 1
Thorpe 1
Thos. 1
W.A. 1
Wallice 1

FAQ

Curtiss surname: questions and answers

How common was the Curtiss surname in 1881?

In 1881, 459 people were recorded with the Curtiss surname. That placed it at #7,225 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Curtiss surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 207 in 2016. That gives Curtiss a modern rank of #19,118.

What does the Curtiss surname mean?

Derived from the Old French "curteis," meaning courteous or polite, originally referring to someone well-mannered or refined.

What does the Curtiss map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Curtiss bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.