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

Curran, 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 Curran surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Curran in America

Curran is the 1423rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Curran surname appeared 24,969 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 8 people would have the surname Curran.

We can also compare 2010 data for Curran 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 Curran

The surname Curran has its origins in Ireland, with the earliest records dating back to the 12th century. It is an anglicized form of the Gaelic name "O'Currain," which means "descendant of the curran." The word "curran" is believed to be derived from the Old Irish word "coir," meaning "blemish" or "speckle."

In its earliest appearances, the name was often spelled as "O'Currain" or "O'Currayn." It is believed that the name originated in County Down, where it was particularly prevalent in the areas around Newry and Kilkeel. Some early records show the name appearing in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, dating back to the 13th century.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Curran was Muircheartach O'Currain, a prominent Irish churchman who lived in the late 12th century and served as the Archbishop of Armagh from 1176 to 1201. Another notable figure was Sir John Curran (c. 1630-1686), an Irish politician and landowner who served as a member of the Irish House of Commons.

In the 18th century, the name gained prominence with the birth of John Philpot Curran (1750-1817), an Irish lawyer, orator, and politician who served as Master of the Rolls in Ireland and was known for his defense of United Irishmen leaders in the 1798 rebellion trials. His contemporary, Sarah Curran (1782-1808), was an Irish diarist and the romantic interest of Robert Emmet, a leader of the 1803 Irish Rebellion.

Another notable figure was John Curran (1758-1818), an Irish-American merchant and politician who served as the second Governor of Arkansas Territory from 1819 to 1821. In the field of literature, Amelia Curran (1775-1847) was an Irish novelist and playwright known for her works set in Ireland during the 18th century.

While the surname Curran has its roots in Ireland, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to Irish immigration. However, its origins and historical significance remain deeply rooted in the Irish culture and history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Curran

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

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

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

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