Courtney is a given name. It is mostly used for females, but is sometimes used for males. The name is of Norman and Old French origin. It came to England in the late 1060s. The name became a given name during the 17th century. It was at first for males. Females did not start getting the name "Courtney" until after the 1956 publication of "Chocolates for Breakfast". That book is about a woman named Courtney who wishes she had been born male. Courtney is a somewhat common name. People named "Courtney" include Courteney Cox, Courtney Love and Courtney Thorne-Smith. Fictional characters with the name include Courtney Matthews in the ABC soap opera series "General Hospital".