The Curl surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 5,335 people carried this name — #6,379 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 55,200 people counted. That is up 4% from 5,131 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Curl surname

As an English surname, from the noun curl.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Curl» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘of Crowle’.

An early record he cites: Robert de Croule, Worcestershire, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

His entry covers Crowle, Crowl and Curl.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 221 · public domain.

In national population registers

29 people named Curl is counted in Slovenia.

Slovenia counts its residents on 1 January 2026.

Counted, by country

Slovenia (2026) 29

Source: Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia (SURS), SiStat tables 05X1015S–05X1018S, family names of the population, 1 January 2026 (names with 20 or more bearers shown).

In print

Curl in American newspapers,
1914.

Newspaper page from Lower Coast Gazette carrying the name Curl
Lower Coast Gazette 1914-02-07
Newspaper page from The Madison Journal carrying the name Curl
The Madison Journal 1914-02-07
Newspaper page from The Rice Belt Journal carrying the name Curl
The Rice Belt Journal 1914-02-06

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 1,694 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Curl in Australian newspapers,
1830s–1980s.

4,961 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Curl. The most, 833, date from the 1930s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in New South Wales, at 1.3 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 2,147
Victoria 1,053
Queensland 821
South Australia 562
Western Australia 184
Tasmania 163
ACT (Canberra) 20
Northern Territory 2

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Curl.

Who carried it

People named Curl,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Charles Curl d. 2013
  • Langston Curl 1899–1991 · musician
  • Lev Fowler Curl 1899–1971 · entomologist
  • Barney Curl 1899–
  • Martina Gangle Curl 1906–1994 · artist
  • Robert Curl 1933–2022 · chemist

Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Curl,
in the records of 5 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States382 records

382 records of the Curl name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 205
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 78
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 44
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 27
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 15
  • Sacramento County historic burials 6
  • New York State death index (outside NYC), 1957–2001 4
  • U.S. service members who died in the Vietnam War 2
  • U.S. service members who died in the Korean War 1
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Cecil L. Curl

    Born 1922 in Tennessee. Enlisted 1943 at Camp Forrest; construction worker. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1997, buried at Hillcrest Memorial Gardens, Shelbyville, Tennessee.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Margar Curl

    Arrived at New York in 1853 aboard the Tempest from Havre, aged 30; farmer. From Bavaria, Germany.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Robert Graham Curl

    Born 1945; from Walled Lake, Michigan. U.S. Army, armor reconnaissance specialist; killed in action 1969 in Phuoc Long, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 382 records for Curl in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

Australia60 records

60 records of the Curl name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 31
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 20
  • NSW convict, estate and railway indexes 5
  • Tasmanian Names Index 4
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record David Curl

    Arrived in Victoria in 1854 aboard the Earl of Eglinton, aged 15; Scottish.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record George Matthew Curl

    Dealer of Aspendale, Victoria; died 1973.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Victoria F. Cameron Curl

    Died 1878 in Westbury, Tasmania.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 60 records for Curl in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Canada32 records

32 records of the Curl name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 29
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 1
  • Ontario immigration records, 1865–1883 1
  • City of Winnipeg cemetery records 1
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Chas Curl

    Came to Ontario in 1874, bound for Malton, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Brantford Curl

    Died 1953 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Floyd Elmer Curl

    Died 1966; buried at Brookside Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.

Showing 3 of 32 records for Curl in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).

United Kingdom6 records

6 records of the Curl name in the United Kingdom War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record G. Curl

    Lance Corporal, Suffolk Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record R. Curl

    Driver, Royal Field Artillery. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record A. Curl

    Loyal North Lancashire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 6 records for Curl in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand1 record

1 record of the Curl name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Annie Curl

    Died 1929; buried at Waimairi Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Curl.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Curl is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Curl volume
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