Cortland is an American given name of English origin, derived from the surname Cortlandt which was originally a place name referring to the manor house of Cortland near the village of Sutton on the Hill in Derbyshire, England. The nameCortland was brought to America by early settlers and has since become more commonly used as a given name rather than a surname. It is often associated with the city of Cortland, New York which was named after the Cortland family who settled there in the late 18th century.
The name Cortland experienced a significant increase in popularity from the late 1980s onwards, with a steady rise from around 30 births per year in the early 1990s to peaking at 62 births in 2011. Since then, its usage has fluctuated but remained relatively stable, with an average of about 35 births per year between 2011 and 2023. Overall, Cortland has seen a total of 2099 births since 1913.