Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 2011

Cortland

Gender Boy · 2% girls Rank 2025 #3,968 Trend ↓ Falling 19%
Rank 2025
#3,968
among boys · ↑1,311 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
27
named Cortland · +17% vs 2024
How common
1 in 63,262
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2011
62 babies
All-time total
2,194
#3,158 all-time among boys
First recorded
1913
in Social Security records

Cortland popularity over time

2,194 babies have been named Cortland since 1913, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.010.020.030.0418801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – – – –
1890s – – – – – –
1900s – – – – – –
1910s – 73 73 7 – #1,619
1920s – 73 73 7 0% #2,787
1930s – 68 68 7 -7% #2,151
1940s – 87 87 9 +28% #2,048
1950s – 84 84 8 -3% #2,306
1960s – 89 89 9 +6% #2,105
1970s – 86 86 9 -3% #2,810
1980s – 195 195 20 +127% #1,984
1990s 17 493 510 51 +162% #1,560
2000s 5 327 332 33 -35% #2,384
2010s 15 420 435 44 +31% #2,131
2020s (to 2025) 12 150 162 27 -38% #3,706

Where Cortland is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 26 0.02 outside top 500
2027 26 0.01 outside top 500
2028 25 0.01 outside top 500
2029 25 0.01 outside top 500
2030 24 0.01 outside top 500

The story of Cortland

Cortland is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #3,968 in 2025 with 27 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1913, 2,194 American babies have been named Cortland. Its peak came in 2011, when 62 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2010s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Cortland stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Cortland?

The median living Cortland is about 26 years old; half are between 13 and 35. An estimated 1,900 people named Cortland are alive in the United States today.

median 26 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Cortland year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 – – 27 #3,968
2024 5 #15,795 18 #5,279
2023 – – 28 #3,909
2022 – – 30 #3,706
2021 7 #12,493 20 #4,809
2020 – – 27 #3,836
2019 5 #16,083 23 #4,360
2018 – – 41 #2,902
2017 – – 28 #3,793
2016 – – 37 #3,116
2015 – – 46 #2,651
2014 5 #17,157 42 #2,816
2013 – – 50 #2,467
2012 5 #17,474 44 #2,723
2011 – – 62 #2,131
2010 – – 47 #2,593
2009 5 #17,937 38 #3,059
2008 – – 31 #3,502
2007 – – 33 #3,319
2006 – – 25 #3,914
2005 – – 29 #3,399
2004 – – 20 #4,294
2003 – – 35 #2,797
2002 – – 43 #2,384
2001 – – 34 #2,753
2000 – – 39 #2,438
1995 5 #13,890 51 #1,738
1990 – – 33 #2,181
1985 – – 14 #3,243
1980 – – 9 #4,207
1975 – – 9 #3,708
1970 – – 9 #3,325
1965 – – 15 #2,105
1960 – – 7 #3,400
1955 – – 6 #3,570
1950 – – 7 #3,085
1945 – – 8 #2,603
1940 – – 9 #2,514
1935 – – 12 #2,151
1930 – – 12 #2,327
1925 – – 10 #2,787
1920 – – 7 #3,551
1915 – – 12 #2,206
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Cortland, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Cortland?

The median living Cortland is about 26 years old. Half of all living Cortlands are between 13 and 35 years old.

How many people named Cortland are alive today?

An estimated 1,900 people named Cortland are alive in the United States, based on 2,194 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Cortland in 2025?

Cortland ranked #3,968 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 27 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Cortland?

2,194 babies have been named Cortland in the United States since 1913, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Cortland most popular?

Cortland peaked in 2011, when 62 newborns received the name.

Is Cortland a boy or girl name?

Cortland is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 98% of babies with the name.

Is the name Cortland rising or falling?

Cortland is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Cortland become more popular?

Cortland is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 24 boys named Cortland in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Cortland

Names that sound and feel close to Cortland: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Cortland with similar names → More names starting with C →