NameCensus.

UK surname

Curley

Derived from the Old French "curlé" or "corleis," meaning curly-haired.

In the 1881 census there were 1,036 people recorded with the Curley surname, ranking it #3,791 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,713, ranked #2,477, up from #3,791 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Gateshead and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include IZ16, Rugby and Rutland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Curley is 2,764 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 161.9%.

1881 census count

1,036

Ranked #3,791

Modern count

2,713

2016, ranked #2,477

Peak year

2014

2,764 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Curley had 1,036 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,791 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,713 in 2016, ranked #2,477.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,400 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Curley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Curley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Curley 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 411 #5,901
1861 historical 602 #4,399
1881 historical 1,036 #3,791
1891 historical 1,210 #3,546
1901 historical 1,366 #3,675
1911 historical 1,400 #3,450
1997 modern 2,467 #2,541
1998 modern 2,542 #2,571
1999 modern 2,567 #2,561
2000 modern 2,529 #2,589
2001 modern 2,509 #2,555
2002 modern 2,621 #2,516
2003 modern 2,528 #2,543
2004 modern 2,521 #2,553
2005 modern 2,492 #2,545
2006 modern 2,509 #2,540
2007 modern 2,526 #2,542
2008 modern 2,564 #2,527
2009 modern 2,661 #2,501
2010 modern 2,744 #2,485
2011 modern 2,733 #2,468
2012 modern 2,693 #2,464
2013 modern 2,730 #2,474
2014 modern 2,764 #2,471
2015 modern 2,711 #2,481
2016 modern 2,713 #2,477

Geography

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Where Curleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Gateshead, Manchester, Stoke-on-Trent, Bucknell-cum-Bagnall, Caverswall and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to IZ16, Rugby, Rutland, East Riding of Yorkshire and Craigneuk Wishaw. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Gateshead Durham
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Stoke-on-Trent, Bucknell-cum-Bagnall, Caverswall Staffordshire
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 IZ16 West Dunbartonshire
2 Rugby 009 Rugby
3 Rutland 005 Rutland
4 East Riding of Yorkshire 042 East Riding of Yorkshire
5 Craigneuk Wishaw North Lanarkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Curley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Curley

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Curley, 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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Curley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Curley household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Curley is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Curley is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Curley 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Curley is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Curley

The surname Curley is of Irish origin and has its roots in the Gaelic name Ó Coirighe, which translates to "descendant of Coirighe." The name Coirighe itself is derived from the Irish word "corrach," meaning "small and withered" or "curly-haired." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname may have had curly hair or a small, withered appearance.

The Curley name can be traced back to County Mayo, Ireland, where it was most prevalent in the baronies of Carra, Erris, and Gallen. The name is also found in counties Sligo, Roscommon, and Galway. The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 16th and 17th centuries, with variations in spelling such as Curely, Curly, and Curlie.

Historical records show that the Curley surname appeared in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the early 17th century. The name is also mentioned in the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, a collection of documents from the reigns of Henry VIII and his successors.

One notable bearer of the Curley surname was Edmond Curley (1673-1747), an Irish Franciscan friar and historian who wrote a history of the Irish province of the Franciscan Order. Another was John Curley (1826-1903), an Irish-born American politician who served as mayor of Boston, Massachusetts, from 1899 to 1900.

Other historical figures with the Curley surname include James Michael Curley (1874-1958), an American politician who served as the 49th Governor of Massachusetts and four-time mayor of Boston; Curley Culp (born 1946), an American professional football player and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame; and Michael Curley (1879-1972), an Australian politician who served as a member of the Australian House of Representatives.

The Curley name has also been associated with several place names in Ireland, such as Curley's Hill in County Mayo and Curley's Cross in County Galway. These place names likely derived from individuals or families with the Curley surname who lived in or owned land in those areas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Curley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Curley 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 325 Curleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.69x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 325 2.69x
Yorkshire 96 0.95x
Staffordshire 77 2.24x
Middlesex 75 0.74x
Lanarkshire 69 2.10x
Durham 57 1.88x
Northumberland 54 3.57x
Cheshire 48 2.14x
Warwickshire 48 1.87x
Kent 29 0.84x
Somerset 22 1.34x
Hampshire 16 0.77x
Surrey 14 0.28x
Gloucestershire 13 0.65x
Glamorgan 10 0.57x
Lincolnshire 10 0.62x
Derbyshire 8 0.50x
Wiltshire 8 0.89x
East Lothian 6 4.46x
Oxfordshire 6 0.96x
Roxburghshire 6 3.26x
Stirlingshire 5 1.33x
Sussex 5 0.29x
Buteshire 4 6.49x
Channel Islands 3 1.00x
Essex 3 0.15x
Berkshire 2 0.26x
Cornwall 2 0.17x
Inverness-shire 2 0.66x
Monmouthshire 2 0.27x
Norfolk 2 0.13x
Northamptonshire 2 0.21x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.11x
Angus 1 0.11x
Berwickshire 1 0.81x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.16x
Dorset 1 0.15x
Flintshire 1 0.37x
Herefordshire 1 0.24x
Hertfordshire 1 0.14x
Isle of Man 1 0.53x
Leicestershire 1 0.09x
Midlothian 1 0.07x
Royal Navy 1 0.83x
Shropshire 1 0.11x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Manchester in Lancashire leads with 55 Curleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.14x.

Place Total Index
Manchester 55 10.14x
Birmingham 46 5.38x
Liverpool 43 5.87x
Widnes 32 36.78x
Cambuslang 24 72.42x
Oldham 24 6.16x
Leeds 22 3.87x
Bilston 21 31.58x
Frome 18 46.00x
Walsall Foreign 17 9.59x
Glasgow 14 2.40x
Sheffield 14 4.37x
Stoke Upon Trent 13 3.57x
Wolverhampton 13 4.93x
Bedlington 12 23.76x
Chorlton On Medlock 12 6.26x
Everton 12 3.12x
Govan 12 1.48x
Middlesbrough 11 8.39x
Worsley 11 14.79x
Barton Upon Irwell 10 11.01x
Elswick 10 8.29x
St Marylebone London 10 1.84x
Wardleworth 10 14.51x
Blackburn 9 2.80x
Blacon Cum Crabwall 9 1084.34x
Newport 9 79.65x
Warrington 9 6.29x
Wylam 9 270.27x
Barony 8 0.96x
Bradford 8 3.28x
Burgh In Marsh 8 202.02x
Dewsbury 8 7.74x
Rochester St Nicholas 8 74.14x
Salford 8 2.26x
Stranton 8 7.86x
Blantyre 7 20.46x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 7 3.73x
Chester St John Baptist 7 17.36x
Crumpsall 7 24.62x
Great Bolton 7 4.38x
Hart 7 94.98x
St Giles In Fields London 7 14.04x
Altrincham 6 15.30x
Alvescot 6 476.19x
Ashton Under Lyne 6 2.28x
Bradfield 6 15.45x
Chelsea London 6 1.96x
Dunbar 6 31.78x
Islington London 6 0.61x
Kelso 6 32.70x
Lambeth 6 0.68x
Medomsley 6 42.52x
Toxteth Park 6 1.47x
Ardwick 5 4.60x
Berwick Upon Tweed 5 15.60x
Chatham 5 5.24x
Chippenham 5 26.53x
Chorley 5 7.39x
Hetton Le Hole 5 13.05x
Poplar London 5 2.61x
Shirland 5 42.02x
Stockport 5 4.33x
Wapping London 5 64.43x
Westminster St John 5 4.04x
Westoe 5 2.92x
Brighton 4 1.16x
Bury 4 2.90x
Hamilton 4 4.36x
Harthill Cum Woodall 4 103.63x
Iveston 4 28.72x
Mexborough 4 20.01x
Ossett Cum Gawthorpe 4 11.12x
Radcliffe 4 6.88x
Rothesay 4 13.41x
Ryhope 4 19.06x
Shadwell London 4 14.06x
Stella 4 154.44x
Sutton 4 9.89x
Ystradyfodwg 4 2.58x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 110
Margaret 41
Bridget 25
Ann 23
Sarah 23
Catherine 21
Ellen 21
Elizabeth 19
Annie 15
Jane 15
Alice 8
Isabella 7
Louisa 5
Maria 5
Rose 5
Eliza 4
Hannah 4
Kate 4
Winifred 4
Ada 3
Emma 3
M. 3
Margt. 3
Martha 3
Agnes 2
Bridgett 2
Caroline 2
Edith 2
Florence 2
Harriet 2
Julia 2
Amelia 1
Aymee 1
Barbara 1
Bella 1
Benace 1
Ceilia 1
Charlotte 1
Clara 1
Dorah 1
E. 1
Elenor 1
Elizth 1
Elizth. 1
Elizth.A. 1
Harriot 1
Honora 1
Janet 1
Lavinia 1
Lillie 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 87
James 58
Thomas 58
Michael 38
Patrick 28
William 27
Martin 18
Edward 16
Joseph 15
George 9
Peter 9
Hugh 8
Charles 7
Richard 6
Robert 6
Andrew 5
Henry 5
Alfred 4
Bernard 4
Daniel 4
Frank 4
Frederick 4
Owen 4
Thos. 4
Anthony 3
Jno. 3
Nicholas 3
Pat 3
Samuel 3
Albert 2
Alexander 2
Arthur 2
Francis 2
Luke 2
Matthew 2
Stephen 2
Wm. 2
Anthoney 1
Bryan 1
Charlton 1
Chas. 1
Edwd.M. 1
Elias 1
Felix 1
Harry 1
Josph. 1
Marcus 1
Mark 1
Mason 1
Wm.J. 1

FAQ

Curley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Curley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,036 people were recorded with the Curley surname. That placed it at #3,791 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Curley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,713 in 2016. That gives Curley a modern rank of #2,477.

What does the Curley surname mean?

Derived from the Old French "curlé" or "corleis," meaning curly-haired.

What does the Curley map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Curley bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.