Explore the Family Name Curran

The meaning of Curran

1. Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Corráin or Ó Corraidhín ‘descendant of Corraidhín’, a personal name from a diminutive of corradh ‘spear’. Compare Corr. 2. Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic from Mac Corraidhín, ‘son of Corraidhín’, with the same personal name as 1 above. According to Woulfe, this family was a branch of the Uí Fhiachrach, who originated in Sligo but were predominantly located in Leitrim by the end of the 16th century. 3. English: variant of Curwen, see Corrin 2. Some characteristic forenames: Irish Brendan, John Patrick, Siobhan, Aisling, Bridie, Caitlin, James Patrick, Keelin, Liam, Seamus, Shamrock, Tadhg.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Curran in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Curran experienced some changes in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Curran was the 1,317th most common surname in the United States, but by 2010, it had dropped slightly to the 1,423rd position, reflecting a decrease of approximately 8 percent. Despite the drop in ranking, the actual number of individuals with the Curran surname increased marginally from 24,559 to 24,969 over the decade, indicating an increase of around 1.67 percent. However, the overall proportion of people with this surname per 100,000 decreased by approximately 7 percent.

20002010Change
Rank#1,317#1,423-8.05%
Count24,55924,9691.67%
Proportion per 100k9.18.46-7.03%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Curran

When it comes to ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows noticeable shifts among those with the surname Curran between 2000 and 2010. The largest ethnic group remained White at 95.05 percent in 2010, though this was a slight decrease from 96.45 percent in 2000. There were significant increases among other ethnic groups during this period. For instance, the percentage of Asian/Pacific Islanders rose by about 35 percent, while there was a nearly 42 percent increase in Black individuals. Hispanics saw an increase of about 42 percent, and those identified as Two or more races saw a substantial boost of almost 48 percent. Lastly, American Indian and Alaskan Natives represented a small portion of Currans, growing by around 7 percent over the decade.

20002010Change
White96.45%95.05%-1.45%
Hispanic1.56%2.21%41.67%
Two or More Races0.95%1.4%47.37%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.49%0.66%34.69%
Black0.26%0.37%42.31%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.29%0.31%6.9%

Curran ancestry composition

23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Curran is British & Irish, which comprises 60.6% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (17.1%) and Italian (5.4%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Greek & Balkan.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
British & Irish60.6%
French & German17.1%
Italian5.4%
Other16.9%
Curran

Possible origins of the surname Curran

Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.

Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Curran have recent ancestry locations in United Kingdom and Ireland.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Greater London, United Kingdom87.60%
Glasgow City, United Kingdom87.40%
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom87.40%
Merseyside, United Kingdom87.40%
West Midlands, United Kingdom87.00%

What Curran haplogroups can tell you

Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.

The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Curran is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-M222 and R-L21, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Kelly, Kenney, Murray, Kelley, Connor, Bradley, Conner, Hughes, Neal, Kearney.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Curran surname are: T2b, H, H1. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

curranPaternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343

Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette

Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Curran have in common?

Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.

Preferences

Curran

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Curran" Surname 47.1%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Curran

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"Curran" Surname 25.7%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Curran

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Curran" Surname 20.7%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Curran

Migraine

A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

"Curran" Surname 17.1%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Curran?

The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.

Disease variant frequency by ancestry

Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Curran are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Y402H variant

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss among older adults. The disease results in damage to the central part of the retina (the macula), impairing vision needed for reading, driving, or even recognizing faces. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the two most common variants associated with an increased risk of developing the condition: the Y402H variant in the CFH gene and the A69S variant in the ARMS2 gene. Learn more about Age-Related Macular Degeneration

British & Irish 62.1%

23andMe Users 57.2%