| ![Show Contents]() Curl History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Curl is a name whose history on English soil dates back to the wave of migration that followed the Norman Conquest of England of 1066. The Curl family lived at Kirkley, a township in the parish of Poneteland in the county of Northumberland. The family name Curl became popular in England after the Norman Conquest, when William the Conqueror gave his friends and relatives most of the land formerly owned by Anglo-Saxon aristocrats. An early roll lists John de Curli of England, 1199 and this source presumes the name is from Thomas de Curleio in Normandy, 1198. 1 Another source postulates the name means "dweller near Curley (bend or turn in the road), in Scotland; one who came from Curley, in France; one who had curly hair." 2 Early Origins of the Curl familyThe surname Curl was first found in Sussex where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Ashburnham, anciently Esseborne. These estates, including three salt houses, were granted to Robert de Criel, a Norman Knight, by William, Duke of Normandy for his assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D., and is so noted in the Domesday Book, 3 a survey taken of landholders in England in 1086. Robert de Criel was from the Castle of Criel near Criel-sur-Mer in the arrondisement of Dieppe. Part of the walls of this huge castle are still standing, and there are also traces of a moat. Robert's chief tenant was the Count of Eu. 1 Early English rolls showed a wide variety of spellings in Latin and early English: Rannulf de Curleio was listed at Hinton, Hampshire c. 1110; Robert de Curli was found in the Pipe Rolls for Oxfordshire in 1190; William de Curly in the Feet of Fines for Warwickshire 1227-1228; Benedict le Curly in Staffordshire in 1271; and Thomas Curly in the Subsidy Rolls for Warwickshire in 1332. 4 Early History of the Curl familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Curl research. Another 257 words (18 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1295, 1339, 1489, 1575, 1628, 1629, 1632, 1637, 1647, 1678, 1679, 1724 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Curl History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Curl Spelling VariationsA multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Crull, Crul, Cruel, Criel, Cryle, Kriel, Krile, Crile, Kirle, Kyrle, Cyrle, Kreel, Creel, Crulle, Crule, Curl, Curle, Girl, Cryll and many more. Early Notables of the Curl familyOutstanding amongst the family at this time was - Walter Curle (Curll) (1575-1647), an English bishop, a close supporter of William Laud, Bishop of Rochester in 1628, Bishop of Bath and Wells from 1629 to 1632
Curl RankingIn the United States, the name Curl is the 6,975th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 5  Migration of the Curl family to Ireland
Some of the Curl family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 58 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Curl migration to the United States | + |
Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Curl or a variant listed above:
Curl Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Albert Curl, who settled in New York State in 1850
| Curl migration to Australia | + |
Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include: Curl Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century- Thomas Curl, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Ramillies" in 1849 6
- Robert Curl, aged 40, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Coromandel" 7
| Contemporary Notables of the name Curl (post 1700) | + |
- Robert Floyd Curl Jr. (1933-2022), American University Professor Emeritus, Pitzer–Schlumberger Professor of Natural Sciences Emeritus, and Professor of Chemistry Emeritus at Rice University, awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1996 for the discovery of the nanomaterial buckminsterfullerene
- Joe Curl (1954-2014), American women's basketball coach at the University of Houston (1998-2010)
- Rodney "Rod" Curl (b. 1943), American professional golfer
- Thomas J. Curl, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Illinois 15th District, 1988 8
- Joseph R. Curl, American politician, Member of West Virginia State House of Delegates from Ohio County, 1933-34; Appointed 1933 8
- Elmer B. Curl, American Republican politician, Candidate in primary for Michigan State Senate 19th District, 1966, 1974, 1978 8
- Charles Curl, American politician, Mayor of Wilmington, Ohio, 1914-15 8
- James Stevens Curl (b. 1937), English architectural historian, architect, and author
- Jeremy Robert Patrick Curl FRGS (b. 1982), British explorer, writer, filmmaker and photographer
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: Nil moror ictus
Motto Translation: I do not care for blows.
- The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
- Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
- Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) RAMILIES 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Ramillies.htm
- South Australian Register Tuesday 9th January 1855. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Coromandel 1855. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/coromandel1855.shtml
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 28) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
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Curl migration to the United States 
Curl migration to Australia 
England
Ireland
