Curran
An Anglicized form of Ó Corraidhin, an Irish surname meaning "descendant of the speckled or freckled one".
Name Census estimates that about 1,143 living Americans carry the first name Curran. It is a predominantly male name (97.5% of registrations). The average person named Curran today is around 28 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Curran births was 1993 (56 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Curran. 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.
People living today
1.1K
~ 1 in 299,873 Americans
Peak year
1993
56 babies that year
Average age
28
years old
2024 SSA rank
#8,429
Tracked since 1916
Gender
Gender distribution for Curran
Curran leans heavily male at 97.5% of total registrations, but 30 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Curran as a male name
- Ranked #8,429 in 2024
- 9 male births in 2024
- Peak: 1993 (56 births)
Curran as a female name
- Ranked #15,991 in 2002
- 5 female births in 2002
- Peak: 2000 (9 births)
Popularity
Curran: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Curran from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 368 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Curran 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 Curran during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Currans live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. California, Texas, Oregon recorded the most babies named Curran, while Pennsylvania, Oregon, Texas recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 31 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Curran
The name Curran is a variant of the Irish Gaelic name Curnán, which means "little curved one" or "little champion." It is derived from the Irish word "corra," meaning "curved" or "bent," and the diminutive suffix "-án." The name has its origins in ancient Ireland and is believed to have been in use since the early medieval period.
Curran is primarily associated with the Irish culture and has been a popular name in Ireland for centuries. It is found in various ancient Irish texts and manuscripts, indicating its long-standing presence in the region. The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 8th century, when it appeared in the Irish Annals, historical records compiled by Irish monks.
One of the earliest notable figures with the name Curran was Saint Curán of Ross-Enarc, an Irish abbot who lived in the 7th century. He was the founder of the monastery of Ross-Enarc in County Galway, Ireland, and is venerated in the Catholic Church. Another significant historical figure was Curran of Bridgecastle, a 16th-century Irish chieftain who played a role in the Desmond Rebellions against English rule in Ireland.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, several prominent Irish figures bore the name Curran. John Philpot Curran (1750-1817) was a celebrated Irish orator, politician, and judge who served as Master of the Rolls in Ireland. He was renowned for his eloquence and his defense of United Irishmen during the era of the Irish Rebellion of 1798.
Another notable bearer of the name was Sarah Curran (1782-1808), an Irish woman renowned for her beauty and her romantic relationship with Robert Emmet, a leader of the Irish Rebellion of 1803. Their tragic love story became a part of Irish folklore and inspired numerous works of literature and art.
In the 20th century, Curran was the first name of Curran J. Swint (1897-1977), an American politician who served as the 36th Governor of Mississippi from 1956 to 1960. He was known for his efforts to promote economic development and industrial growth in the state.
While the name Curran has its roots in Ireland, it has gained popularity in other parts of the world, particularly among those with Irish heritage or connections. Its unique sound and meaning have contributed to its enduring appeal as a given name over the centuries.
People
Curran + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Curran 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
Curran: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Curran?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,143 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Curran 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 299,873 US residents.
Is Curran a common name?
We classify Curran as "Rare". It ranks above 90.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,181 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Curran most popular?
The single biggest year for Curran was 1993, when 56 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Curran is about 28 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Curran a male name?
Yes, 97.5% of people registered as Curran 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.