Cortez

Cortez is a surname of Spanish origin, anglicized from Cortés. It is used as a family name and appears as a toponym in various places. The most prominent historical figure bearing this name is Hernán Cortés (c. 1485–1547), a Spanish conquistador who led the expedition that resulted in the fall of the Aztec Empire and the Spanish conquest of central Mexico. His campaigns reshaped the region’s political landscape and population and contributed to broader patterns of European colonization, trade, and cultural exchange. They also provoked long-standing debates over violence, colonialism, and Indigenous rights.

Geography: In the United States, Cortez names include Cortez, Colorado, a town in Montezuma County in the southwestern part of the state, near Mesa Verde National Park. Cortez, Florida, is a coastal community on the Gulf of Mexico in Manatee County, part of the Bradenton–Sarasota metropolitan area.

Other uses: The name Cortés is common throughout the Spanish-speaking world as a surname. Cortez is used for various fictional characters, businesses, and institutions in different countries, and may appear in literature, film, and media as a place name or surname.