Find out how popular the last name Cur is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Cur.

Cur, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Cur surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cur in America

Cur is the 159712th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cur surname appeared 101 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Cur.

The history of the last name Cur

The surname "Cur" is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, deriving from the Old English word "cur," which meant a dog or a cur. This term was often used as a derogatory nickname for someone perceived as being ill-mannered or uncouth, much like a stray dog.

In the early days, surnames were not hereditary but rather descriptive nicknames that were eventually adopted as family names. The name "Cur" likely began as a moniker bestowed upon an individual with perceived unruly or dog-like behavior, which then passed down through generations and became a surname.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname "Cur" can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and population in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry lists a person named "Ricardus Cur" as a landowner in Nottinghamshire.

Over the centuries, various spellings of the name emerged, including "Curre," "Curr," and "Cuur," reflecting the evolving nature of English orthography. In some regions, the name also took on locational variations, such as "Currie" or "Curry," suggesting potential connections to specific places or settlements.

Notable individuals bearing the surname "Cur" throughout history include:

1. Robert Cur (c. 1220-1290), an English landowner and knight who fought in the Barons' Revolt against King Henry III.
2. John Cur (c. 1315-1380), a prominent merchant and alderman in the City of London during the reign of Edward III.
3. Margaret Cur (c. 1450-1515), a wealthy heiress and benefactor who helped fund the construction of St. Mary's Church in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk.
4. Thomas Cur (c. 1570-1642), a Puritan minister and author who wrote several influential religious texts during the English Reformation.
5. Elizabeth Cur (c. 1625-1697), a pioneering English naturalist and one of the earliest women to document and illustrate plant specimens.

While the surname "Cur" may have originated from a derogatory term, it has since become a respected and well-established name with a rich history spanning centuries in England and beyond.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cur

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Cur.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Cur was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Cur was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Cur, please contact us.

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