UK surname

Curlett

A medieval occupational surname denoting a maker or seller of curled tresses for wigs.

In the 1881 census there were 16 people recorded with the Curlett surname, ranking it #31,301 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 101, ranked #30,929, up from #31,301 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Liverpool, Dudley and Bonnington.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Curlett is 118 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 531.3%.

1881 census count

Ranked #31,301

Modern count

101

2016, ranked #30,929

Peak year

2002

118 bearers

Map years

1998 to 2016

Key insights

• Curlett had 16 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #31,301 surname in that year.
• The latest modern count shown here is 101 in 2016, ranked #30,929.
• Within the historical census years, the highest count was 57 in 1891.
• The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Map

Curlett surname distribution map

The map shows where the Curlett surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Curlett surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Year

Loading map

Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Curlett over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year	Period	Count	Rank
1851	historical	14	#30,790
1861	historical	25	#30,804
1881	historical	16	#31,301
1891	historical	57	#29,533
1901	historical	52	#28,377
1911	historical	31	#29,952
1997	modern	106	#26,057
1998	modern	109	#26,273
1999	modern	113	#25,913
2000	modern	117	#25,324
2001	modern	114	#25,344
2002	modern	118	#25,358
2003	modern	110	#26,220
2004	modern	114	#25,870
2005	modern	113	#25,974
2006	modern	108	#27,015
2007	modern	106	#27,722
2008	modern	110	#27,391
2009	modern	113	#27,520
2010	modern	113	#28,162
2011	modern	117	#27,334
2012	modern	113	#28,016
2013	modern	115	#28,176
2014	modern	108	#29,658
2015	modern	108	#29,512
2016	modern	101	#30,929

Geography

Where Curletts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Liverpool, Dudley, Bonnington and Knowsley. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank	Parish	Area
1	No data	No data

Top modern areas

Rank	Area	District
1	Liverpool 009	Liverpool
2	Dudley 012	Dudley
3	Dudley 019	Dudley
4	Bonnington	City of Edinburgh
5	Knowsley 001	Knowsley

Forenames

First names often paired with Curlett

These lists show first names that appear often with the Curlett surname in historical and recent records.

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Recent female names

Margaret Rosalie Jean Beryl Sarah Frances Wendy Judith Elizabeth Susan

Recent male names

John Robert Graham Joseph Gavin Peter David James Richard Alexander

Modern profile

Neighbourhood profile for Curlett

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Curlett, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Curlett surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Curlett household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

European Enclaves

Within London, Curlett is most associated with areas classed as European Enclaves, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents of these accessible neighbourhoods have wide-ranging non-UK European origins. Typically residing in privately rented flats, many residents live alone and are beyond normal retirement age. There are more students than elsewhere in the Supergroup, some of which live in communal establishments. Household residents are often drawn from different ethnic groups.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Curlett is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Curlett falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Curlett is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate: White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Curlett, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Origin

Meaning and origin of Curlett

The surname Curlett is of English origin and is thought to have originated in the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "cryel," which means "curly-haired" or "wavy-haired." This suggests that the name was initially used as a descriptive nickname for someone with curly or wavy hair.

The Curlett name is most commonly associated with the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk in East Anglia, England. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in parish records and tax rolls from these regions in the late 13th and early 14th centuries.

One of the earliest known references to the Curlett name appears in the Subsidy Rolls for Suffolk in 1327, where a certain John Curlet is listed as a taxpayer. Additionally, the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1279 mention a William Cryel, which is likely an early variant spelling of the name.

In the 16th century, the Curlett name can be found in various historical records, including the Register of the University of Oxford, where a Richard Curlett is listed as a student in 1559. Another notable early bearer of the name was John Curlett, a merchant and alderman in the city of Norwich, who was born around 1540 and died in 1603.

One of the most famous individuals with the Curlett surname was Sir William Curlett (1599-1664), an English politician and member of Parliament for Norwich during the reign of King Charles I. He was a staunch Royalist and played a significant role in the English Civil War.

Other notable individuals with the Curlett surname include:

1. Henry Curlett (1735-1808), an English engraver and artist known for his portraits and landscapes. 2. William Curlett (1781-1863), a British Army officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and later became a Member of Parliament. 3. Thomas Curlett (1811-1888), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Shelton in Staffordshire. 4. James Curlett (1863-1944), a British architect who designed several notable buildings in London and the surrounding areas. 5. Evelyn Curlett (1899-1976), a British writer and novelist best known for her romantic fiction novels set in the early 20th century.

The Curlett name has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Curlett's Farm in Norfolk and Curlett's Lane in Hertfordshire, further highlighting the historical presence and significance of this surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Curlett families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Curlett surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 8 Curletts recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.29x.

County	Total	Frequency	Index
Lancashire	8	0.00%	3.29x
Isle of Man	5	0.01%	131.58x
Cumberland	4	0.00%	22.69x
Lanarkshire	2	0.00%	3.02x
Ayrshire	1	0.00%	6.52x
Durham	1	0.00%	1.64x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 5 Curletts recorded in 1881 and an index of 33.88x.

Place	Total	Frequency	Index
Liverpool	5	0.00%	33.88x
Lonan	5	0.15%	2173.91x
Garston	3	0.03%	416.67x
Whitehaven	3	0.02%	319.15x
Ardrossan	1	0.01%	188.68x
Arlecdon	1	0.01%	212.77x
Govan	1	0.00%	6.11x
Maryhill	1	0.01%	76.92x
St Giles	1	0.02%	263.16x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Curlett surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name	Count
Betsey	1
Eliza	1
Elizabeth	1
Ema	1
Julia	1
Mary	1
Ruth	1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Curlett surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name	Count
John	2
Alexander	1
Clement	1
Henry	1
James	1
Robert	1
W.	1
William	1
Wm.	1
Wm.J.G.	1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Curlett households.

Occupation	Count
Scholar	3
Farmer Daur	2
Farmer Son	2
Captains Wife	1
Carman	1
Farmer	1
Farmer 160 Acres Employ 2 Boys	1
Iron Miner	1
Labourer At Town Tanners	1
Licensed Victualler Manager	1
Stoker	1
Wife	1

FAQ

Curlett surname: questions and answers

How common was the Curlett surname in 1881?

In 1881, 16 people were recorded with the Curlett surname. That placed it at #31,301 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Curlett surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 101 in 2016. That gives Curlett a modern rank of #30,929.

What does the Curlett surname mean?