Show ContentsCurrin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Native Irish surnames such as Currin have a long, ancient Gaelic history behind them. The original Gaelic form of the name Currin is Ó Corrain or the older form Ó Currain. 1

Early Origins of the Currin family

The surname Currin was first found in County Waterford (Irish: Port Láirge), anciently the Deise region, on the South coast of Ireland in the Province of Munster, where they held a family seat from early times.

Early History of the Currin family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Currin research. Another 145 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1302, 1411, 1526, 1546, 1750 and 1817 are included under the topic Early Currin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Currin Spelling Variations

Individual scribes in the Ireland during the Middle Ages would often record a person's name various ways. How the name was recorded depended on what that particular scribe believed the proper spelling for the name pronounced to him was. Spelling variations revealed in the search for the origin of the Currin family name include Curran, Currans, O'Curren, Curren, Corren, Corrane, O'Curran, Currens, Currin, Corraine, Courrane, Courran, Courren and many more.

Early Notables of the Currin family

Another 32 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Currin Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Currin Ranking

In the United States, the name Currin is the 7,037th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 2


United States Currin migration to the United States +

The 19th century saw a great wave of Irish migrating out of their homeland in a great measure due to the oppressive imperial policies of the English government and landowners. Many of these Irish families sailed to North America aboard overcrowded passenger ships. By far, the largest influx of Irish immigrants to North America occurred with Great Potato Famine during the late 1840s. These particular immigrants were instrumental in creation of the United States and Canada as major industrial nations because the many essential elements such as the roadways, canals, bridges, and railways required an enormous quantity of cheap labor, which these poor immigrants provided. Later generations of Irish in these countries also went on to make valuable contributions in such fields as the arts, commerce, politics, and education. Extensive research into immigration and passenger lists has revealed many early immigrants bearing the name Currin:

Currin Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Michael Currin, who arrived in America in 1811 3
  • Eliza Currin, who landed in New York, NY in 1817 3
  • Joseph Currin, who landed in New York, NY in 1817 3
  • Thomas Currin, aged 26, who arrived in Boston, Massachusetts in 1849 3
  • John Currin, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1850 3

Canada Currin migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Currin Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Dennis Currin, who arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1843
  • Patrick Currin, who landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1843

Australia Currin migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Currin Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Thomas Currin, (b. 1810), aged 22, Irish convict who was convicted in Sligo, Ireland for life for burglary, transported aboard the "City of Edinburgh II" on 18th March 1832, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 4

New Zealand Currin migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Currin Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • John Currin, aged 51, a labourer, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Prince of Wales" in 1842
  • Ann Currin, aged 42, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Prince of Wales" in 1842
  • John Currin, aged 18, a labourer, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Prince of Wales" in 1842
  • Sarah Currin, aged 15, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Prince of Wales" in 1842
  • Thomas Currin, aged 11, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Prince of Wales" in 1842
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Currin (post 1700) +

  • John Currin, American background artist, known for his work on The Mumbly Cartoon Show (1976), The New Tom & Jerry Show (1975) and The Great Grape Ape Show (1977)
  • John Currin, American assistant editor, known for his work on The Simpsons Movie (2007), The Iron Giant (1999) and Space Jam (1996)
  • Dovie Currin, American child actress, known for her role in Love Is Strange (2014)
  • Brenda Currin, American actress, perhaps best known for her role as Nancy Clutter in the widely acclaimed In Cold Blood (1967)
  • Perry Gilmore Currin (1928-2011), American Major League Baseball shortstop who played in three games for the St. Louis Browns in 1947
  • David Maney Currin Sr. (1817-1864), Tennessee politician who served in the Confederate States Congress during the American Civil War
  • John Currin (b. 1962), American painter
  • Brian Currin (b. 1950), South African lawyer, helped found the Truth and Reconciliation Commission


  1. MacLysaght, Edward, The Surnames of Ireland. Ireland: Irish Academic Press, sixth edition, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2366-3)
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  3. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  4. Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 11th February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/city-of-edinburgh


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