Cortez is the English spelling of the Spanish surname Cortés, which means "courteous" or "polite". As a given name it took hold in the United States in the 1980s and 1990s, especially in African American families, and it carries the echo of the conquistador Hernán Cortés. Cortez ranked number 741 in 2000, fell out of the top 1000 soon after and stands at number 1655 in 2025 with 101 boys.