Show ContentsCurry History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Curry family

The surname Curry was first found in counties Clare and Waterford (Irish: Port Láirge), anciently the Deise region, on the South coast of Ireland in the Province of Munster, as well as in Ulster where different instances of this surname originated.

Early History of the Curry family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Curry research. Another 156 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1186, 1279, 1308, 1634, 1659, 1667, 1671, 1677, 1711, 1713, 1718, 1719, 1726, 1755, 1770, 1796, 1813, 1827 and 1862 are included under the topic Early Curry History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Curry Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Corry, O'Corry, Corrie, MacCorry, Curry, MacCurry and many more.

Early Notables of the Curry family

Notable amongst the family name at this time was

  • Eugene O'Curry (1796-1862), Gaelic scholar

Curry Ranking

In the United States, the name Curry is the 313rd most popular surname with an estimated 87,045 people with that name. 1 However, in the United Kingdom, the name Curry is ranked the 860th most popular surname with an estimated 7,905 people with that name. 2


Curry migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Curry Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Barbery Curry, who arrived in Maryland in 1661 3
  • Thomas Curry, who arrived in Maryland in 1661 3
  • Alexander Curry, who landed in Maryland in 1679 3
  • Robert Curry, who landed in Maryland in 1684 3
Curry Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Eliza Curry, aged 12, who landed in New York, NY in 1803 3
  • Jane Curry, aged 36, who landed in New York, NY in 1803 3
  • William Curry, who landed in New York, NY in 1804 3
  • Conell Curry, who landed in New York, NY in 1811 3
  • Henry Curry, who landed in New York, NY in 1811 3
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Curry migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Curry Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Mr. Ephraim Curry U.E. who settled in Eastern District [Cornwall], Ontario c. 1783 4
  • Mr. Ephraim Curry U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1783 4
  • Mr. Ephraim Curry Sr., U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1783 4
  • Mr. James Curry U.E. who settled in Eastern District [Cornwall], Ontario c. 1783 4
  • Mr. James Curry U.E. who settled in Eastern District, Lancaster, Glengarry County, Ontario c. 1783 4
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Curry Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Norry Curry, aged 23, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the barque "Pallas" from Cork, Ireland
  • Thomas Curry, aged 26, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the ship "John & Mary" from Belfast, Ireland
  • Ann Curry, aged 27, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Salus" in 1833
  • Catherine Curry, aged 18, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Salus" in 1833
  • Dennis Curry, aged 56, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Prudence" in 1838
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Curry migration to Australia +

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

Curry Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Thomas Curry, (b. 1791), aged 25, English gardener who was convicted in Shrewsbury, Shorpshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" in May 1816, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1824 5
  • James Curry, a weaver, who arrived in New South Wales, Australia sometime between 1825 and 1832
  • Miss Eliza Curry, (Elizabeth), (b. 1803), aged 23, Irish dairy maid who was convicted in Londonderry, Ireland for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Brothers" on 3rd October 1826, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 6
  • Mr. Martin Curry, (b. 1814), aged 20, Irish convict who was convicted in County Laois (Queens County), Ireland, transported aboard the "Forth" on 21st October 1834, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1854 7
  • Mr. Thomas Curry (b. 1814), aged 19, Cornish settler convicted in Cornwall, UK on 31st December 1833, sentenced for 7 years for stealing a drake and a mallard from Henry Heim, transported aboard the ship "Surrey" on 9th April 1834 to New South Wales, Australia 8
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Curry 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:

Curry Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Thomas Curry, aged 16, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bolton" in 1840
  • Catherine Curry, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Alfred" in 1864 9
  • Thomas Curry, aged 46, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bombay" in 1865 10
  • Elizabeth Curry, aged 42, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bombay" in 1865 10
  • Thomas Curry, aged 20, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bombay" in 1865 10
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Curry (post 1700) +

  • Timothy James "Tim" Curry (b. 1946), Emmy Award-winning and three-time Tony Award-nominated English actor, singer, and composer, best known for his role in the cult movie Rocky Horror Picture Show
  • Stephen Curry (b. 1988), born Wardell Stephen Curry II, American former professional basketball player, widely regarded as the greatest shooter, four-time NBA champion, a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP)
  • Wesley Curry (1860-1933), American pitcher and umpire in Major League Baseball
  • Xzavion Rashan Curry (b. 1998), American professional baseball pitcher
  • Stephen Thomas Curry (b. 1965), American former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball
  • Susie Curry, American retired professional fitness competitor
  • Thomas John Curry (b. 1943), Irish-born American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church
  • Valorie Curry, American actress
  • Sean Curry (b. 1982), American former professional ice hockey defenseman
  • Sedrick Demon Curry (b. 1976), American former football defensive back
  • ... (Another 64 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

North Sea Flood
  • James Curry, British traveler aboard the ferry "Princess Victoria" killed in the North Sea Flood, a major storm surge in 1953
  • Thomas Ronald Curry, British traveler aboard the ferry "Princess Victoria" who survived the North Sea Flood, a major storm surge in 1953
Pan Am Flight 103 (Lockerbie)
  • Joseph Patrick Curry (1957-1988), American Army Captain from Fort Devens, Massachusetts, America, who flew aboard the Pan Am Flight 103 from Frankfurt to Detroit, known as the Lockerbie bombing in 1988 and died 11
USS Arizona
  • Mr. William Joseph Curry, American Water Tender Second Class from Oregon, USA working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking 12


The Curry Motto +

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: Vigilans et audaux
Motto Translation: Vigilant and bold.


Suggested Readings for the name Curry +

  • A Compilation of the Data Relating to the Descendants of William Curry and Charity Lockwood by Margaret A. Knapp Stevenson.
  • Curry Cousins, 1785 to 1974 by Carolyn Reeves Ericson.

  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
  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. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
  5. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 1st March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth
  6. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/brothers
  7. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th October 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/forth
  8. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 30th May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_convicts.pdf
  9. Archives New Zealand Micro 5019. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Alfred. Retrieved from http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ourstuff/Alfred1864.htm
  10. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 7th November 2010). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  11. Pan Am Flight 103's victims: A list of those killed 25 years ago | syracuse.com. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2013/12/pan_am_flight_103s_victims_a_list_of_those_killed_25_years_ago.html
  12. Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html


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