Curry

An Irish surname of Antrim. In the 2010 US census it was carried by 74,919 people, the 436th most common surname in the country.

Curry is the anglicised form of six distinct Irish names. Some you can hear in the English name; others look and sound nothing like it, and were simply swapped for it.

Mac Corra, Mac Corraidh, son of Corradh (spear). This family stood in Co. Leitrim.

Mac Gothradha, Mac Gothraidh, son of Godfrey

Mac Mhuireadhaigh. This family stood in Co. Antrim.

Ó Comhraidhe, descendant of Comhraidhe. This family stood in the barony of Moygoish in Co. Westmeath.

Ó Corraidh, descendant of Corradh (spear)

Ó Corra, descendant of Corra (spear)

Where the name comes from

Ó Comhraidhe names three families: Westmeath chiefs of Ui Mac Uais, now the barony (an old land division, several parishes across) of Moygoish; a family of the Corca Laoighdhe in south-west Cork; and a branch of the Dal gCais in Thomond, to which the celebrated Eugene O'Curry belonged.

Ó Corra and Ó Corraidh are both descendant of the spear, a rather common Ulster surname, and by a loose translation they also produce Weir. Mac Corra is the same word with a different prefix.

Two more arrive from elsewhere. Mac Gothraidh is son of Godfrey, which is how Godfrey, Gorry, Corry and Curry can all be one name; and Mac Mhuireadhaigh is a Co. Antrim variant of Scottish origin.

The Giant's Causeway at twilight with wet hexagonal basalt columns stretching to the sea and long exposure blurred waves
The Giant's Causeway, Co. Antrim

Antrim, photographed

Photographs made in Antrim.

Antrim

The Antrim coast road runs about 25 miles between the cliffs and the sea, with nine glens coming down to it. The rock is basalt, the same flow that formed the Giant's Causeway. Scotland is 12 miles off at the narrowest point and visible on a clear day.

The iconic Dark Hedges beech tree tunnel near Armoy in County Antrim with intertwined branches forming a brooding canopyThe Dark Hedges, Co. Antrim Co. Antrim Long exposure of Pan's Rock with its footbridge at dawn on the Antrim Causeway Coast, silky water and blurred clouds, Rathlin Island on the horizonPan's Rock, Co. Antrim Co. Antrim Sunrise over Colliery Bay with Fair Head cliffs and mountains, Co. Antrim, fine art landscape photograph by Peter CoxColliery Bay & Fair Head, Co. Antrim Co. Antrim Dunluce Castle on coastal cliffs with long exposure sea, Co. Antrim, fine art landscape photograph by Peter CoxDunluce Castle, Co. Antrim Co. Antrim Black and white photograph of a rainstorm sweeping across the Skerries islands off the North Antrim coast near PortrushRainstorm, the Skerries, Co. Antrim Co. Antrim Sunset over Bengore Head with waves rolling over rocks, Co. Antrim, Ireland — fine art landscape photograph by Peter CoxBengore Head, Co. Antrim Co. Antrim Sunset over the Skerries coast in County Antrim with warm light reflecting on wet sand and rock formationsThe Skerries, Co. Antrim Co. Antrim

All Antrim prints

Notable bearers

Stephen Curry (born 1988), writer and basketball player.

Tim Curry (1946-2026), actor, singer, and musician.

Denzel Curry (born 1995), singer, musician, and songwriter.

Valorie Curry (born 1986), actor.

Adrianne Curry (born 1982), actor, film producer, and model.

About this page

The counties on this page are where the name was thickest on the ground in Ireland a century and a half ago, not a claim about any one family. Names moved around inside the country as much as they left it. The photographs are mine, made in the counties named.

More Irish surnames: Smith · Brown · Miller · Wilson · Anderson · Thomas · Taylor · Moore · Jackson · Martin · Lee · Thompson

How common the name was

In 1890, 75 births were registered under Curry in Ireland, most of them in Antrim.

Ulster 48
Leinster 15
Munster 8
Connacht 4
Ireland 75