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

Curney, 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 Curney surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Curney in America

Curney is the 97671st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Curney surname appeared 186 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 Curney.

We can also compare 2010 data for Curney to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Curney

The surname Curney is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval era. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "curn" or "cyrn," which meant a hand-mill or a quern, and the suffix "-ey," indicating a location or place.

Historically, the name Curney was first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and properties commissioned by William the Conqueror. The earliest documented bearer of the name was Ralph de Curney, a landowner in Oxfordshire during the late 11th century.

Over the centuries, the surname Curney has undergone various spelling variations, such as Kerney, Kernay, and Kernye. These variations often reflected regional dialects and the preferences of scribes who recorded the name in official documents.

One notable figure bearing the Curney surname was Sir John Curney, a prominent English politician and diplomat who lived during the 15th century (c. 1420-1489). He served as a Member of Parliament and was appointed as the Ambassador to France by King Henry VI.

In the 16th century, the Curney family established themselves in the county of Dorset, where they were influential landowners and prominent members of the local gentry. Notable individuals from this branch include Sir Thomas Curney (c. 1550-1620), who served as the Sheriff of Dorset, and his son, Sir Henry Curney (c. 1580-1645), a Member of Parliament during the reign of King Charles I.

Another significant figure was Sir Raphael Curney (c. 1610-1670), a wealthy merchant and philanthropist from London. He was involved in the East India Trade and made substantial donations towards the construction of St. Paul's Cathedral and other charitable causes.

In the 18th century, the Curney family continued to maintain a strong presence in various parts of England. One notable individual was Robert Curney (c. 1720-1795), a renowned architect who designed several churches and public buildings in the counties of Wiltshire and Somerset.

Throughout its long history, the surname Curney has been associated with various occupations, including landowners, politicians, diplomats, merchants, and architects, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and achievements of those who bore this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Curney

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

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 Curney 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.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Curney has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

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 Curney was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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