Curly
Having curled or curly hair; from an adjective describing curly hair.
Name Census estimates that about 90 living Americans carry the first name Curly. It is a predominantly male name (97.5% of registrations). The average person named Curly today is around 73 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Curly births was 1923 (15 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Curly. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Curly is about 73 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Curlys were born before 1963.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Curly. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
90
~ 1 in 3,808,382 Americans
Peak year
1923
15 babies that year
Average age
73
years old
1977 SSA rank
#4,499
Tracked since 1913
Gender
Gender distribution for Curly
Curly leans heavily male at 97.5% of total registrations, but 6 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Curly as a male name
- Ranked #5,254 in 1977
- 6 male births in 1977
- Peak: 1957 (11 births)
Curly as a female name
- Ranked #4,499 in 1923
- 6 female births in 1923
- Peak: 1923 (6 births)
Popularity
Curly: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Curly from the 1910s through to the 1970s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1940s, with 47 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1940s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Curly by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Curly during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Curly
The name Curly is an English nickname derived from the word "curl," which refers to the curling or twisting of something, particularly hair. It likely originated as a descriptive name given to individuals with naturally curly or wavy hair.
The earliest recorded use of the name Curly dates back to the late 19th century, when it became a popular nickname in English-speaking countries, particularly in the United States. One of the earliest known individuals to bear the name was Curly Lambeau, an American football player and coach who was born in 1898 and is credited with founding the Green Bay Packers.
Another famous bearer of the name was Curly Howard, an American comedian and actor who was born in 1903 and was part of the iconic comedy trio The Three Stooges. His unique curly hair and comedic talents made him a beloved figure in the world of slapstick comedy.
In the world of music, Curly Putman was an American songwriter born in 1925 who wrote several hit songs for country music artists, including "Green Green Grass of Home" and "He Stopped Loving Her Today."
In the realm of literature, Curly Culp was the pen name of American writer and playwright Robert Culp, who was born in 1924 and is best known for his work on the television series "I Spy."
Lastly, Curly Seckler was an American bluegrass musician born in 1919 who played the mandolin and was a member of the iconic bluegrass band Flatt and Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys.
While the name Curly may have originated as a descriptive nickname, it has become a beloved and iconic name in various fields, from sports and entertainment to literature and music, thanks to the notable individuals who have borne it throughout history.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Curly
People
Curly + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Curly as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Curly: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Curly?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 90 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Curly going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 3,808,382 US residents.
Is Curly a common name?
We classify Curly as "Very Rare". It ranks above 63% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 236 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Curly most popular?
The single biggest year for Curly was 1923, when 15 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Curly is about 73 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Curly a male name?
Yes, 97.5% of people registered as Curly in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.