Curtis

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

Curtis

1. An English surname​, originally a nickname for a refined or courtly person.
2. A male given name transferred from the surname.

• 1594 William Shakespeare: The Taming of the Shrew: Act IV, Scene I :

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

• 1843 Thomas Carlyle, Past and Present, book 3, ch. IV, Happy

  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.

• Curt
• Kurt
• Kurtis

• citrus, rictus, rustic