Curtler History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany

Etymology of Curtler

What does the name Curtler mean?

The name Curtler is derived from the Old French words "cortiller, courtuiller, cultilier" which mean "gardener" or is a derivative of the MIddle English word "curtil" or "kirtle," a maker of kirtles. Kirtles were a garment that was worn by men and women in the Middle Ages, eventually known to be a kirtle dress.

Early Origins of the Curtler family

The surname Curtler was first found in Essex where Geoffrey le Cultelier was registered as holding lands in the Pipe Rolls of 1186. William le Curtiller was listed in the Pipe Rolls for Wiltshire in 1199. Both entries point to the occupational nature of the name with the use of "le." Ralph Curtiler was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1296 and William and Roger le Corteler were both listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Suffolk in 1327. 1

The Kirtley variant is derived from Kirkley, "a township in the parish of Ponteland, ten miles from Newcastle, Northumberland." 2

Early History of the Curtler family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Curtler research. Another 92 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1186, 1455 and 1487 are included under the topic Early Curtler History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Curtler Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Curtler family name include Curtler, Courtler, Kirtler, Cirtler, Curtillier, Corteler, Cortler and many more.

Early Notables of the Curtler family

the Curtler family of Worcestershire

Migration of the Curtler family

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, the Canadas, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Curtler surname or a spelling variation of the name include : the name represented in many forms and recorded from the mid 17th century in the great migration from Europe. Migrants settled in the eastern seaboard from Newfoundland, to Maine, to Virginia, the Carolinas, and to the islands..

Sources +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)