CURLEY
Curley is a surname of Irish Gaelic origin that has risen to prominence across the British Isles and in other English‑speaking territories.
The earliest recorded form derives from the Gaelic word corcach, meaning “curl”, and was originally given as a descriptive epithet to a person with curly hair. Other scholarly traditions trace the name to the patronymic Ó Corraidhín, a diminutive of Corradh (“spear”), thereby rendering the meaning “descendant of the little spear”. A further explanation links the name to the Gaelic personal name Ó Coirbhe, associated with valor and the spear, and to the Scottish variant Ó Coirbheil.
In County Galway and Roscommon the surname appears in its Anglicised form of the Gaelic Mac Thoirdealbhoigh, where the prefix mac means “son of” and Toridhealbhach combines the Scandinavian deity Thor with dealbhach (“in the shape of”). This form is documented as MacTerlagh and MacTurlough in the 1750 Census of Limerick.
Curley is known by a variety of spellings, including Kerley, Turley, Terry, McTerrelly, Corley, Curling, Curlee, McCorley, Curly, Kerlee and Curleigh.
The surname is concentrated in Connacht, particularly in County Galway, with additional clusters in Roscommon, Mayo and Limerick. Outside Ireland it is documented in England, Scotland, Canada, Australia and the United States, where migration during the 19th‑century Great Famine spread the name worldwide. In 2014 the surname was held by about one person in 204 in Ireland, the highest concentration, followed by England and the United States.
The first recorded spelling dates to 1569, when Syslay Kerley was christened at St. Andrew, Holborn in London during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Subsequent ecclesiastical records include a christening at St. Botolph without Aldgate on 21 October 1621 for Sara Curley, a marriage at St. Peter’s, Drogheda in 1748 for Gerald Curley, and a 1874 passenger list that records a 24‑year‑old Nicolas Curley, a labourer, aboard the Tassie from Galway to New York.
The Great Famine of 1845-1852 triggered a mass exodus, and many bearers of the name emigrated to North America, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom. Their surnames were often altered through Anglicisation or clerical error, thereby producing the diverse forms mentioned above.
Contemporary genealogical resources such as the online platform Forebears confirm that while Curley remains common in Ireland, its presence in England and the United States reflects the long history of migration and cultural integration.
Thus, the surname Curley exemplifies the linguistic evolution of Gaelic names through Anglicisation, the historical movements of the Irish people, and the enduring legacy of a family name that continues to be borne by millions across the English‑speaking world.
Typical given names associated with the Curley surname
Male
- Andrew
- David
- James
- John
- Michael
- Paul
- Robert
- Stephen
- Thomas
- William
Female
- Anne
- Carol
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Fiona
- Gillian
- Helen
- Jennifer
- Joanne
- Margaret
- Mary
- Michelle
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Carley
- Carlye
- Carly
- Carlie
- Carli
- Carelli
- Carl
- Careley
- Cairley
- Carely
- Careleys
- Carghley
- Cruley
- Curle
- Caughley
- Cauley
- Caulley
- Caully
- Cauly
- Cawrley
- Chorley
- Chorly
- Coarley
- Corley
- Corleys
- Corlie
- Corlly
- Corly
- Courley
- Courlley
- Courly
- Crauley
- Curl
- Curlay
- Curlee
- Curlew
- Curlie
- Curlis
- Curll
- Curly
- Karley
- Kearley
- Kerley
- Kerrley
- Kirley
- Korley
- Kurley
- Kurly
- Carlay
- Cauli
- Corelli
- Corlay
- Coroley
- Courlay
- Craley
- Curleis
- Curline
- Cursley
- Curtley
- Crowley
- Curylo
- Garley
- Gourley
- Graley
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Curley in...
Braille
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Morse
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Semaphore
There are approximately 3,592 people named Curley in the UK. That makes it roughly the 2,560th most common surname in Britain. Around 55 in a million people in Britain are named Curley.
Surname type: Location or geographical feature
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Curley
- William Curley - Chocolatier
- Billy Curley - Football player
- Tom Curley - Football player
- Ian Curley - Racing driver
- Michael Curley - Football player (1912 to 1973)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.