Surname Curlewe - Meaning and Origin
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Curlewe: What does the surname Curlewe mean?
The last name Curlewe is an English surname thought to have originated from the Old Norse personal name Kelfr, which is a form of the Old English name Ceolferð. It is related to the Old Norse word kjǫlfr, which means ‘ship’ and is found within various capitalized form of the surname, e.g. Curlewe, Curlew, and Corlew.
Some people believe that the name Curlewe might be linked to a St. Kjǫlfr, who is mentioned in the Life of St. Cuthbert of Lindisfarne, which dates to 870 AD. According to the text, he was a missionary to the Picts, which is consistant with the claim that the surname emerges from the north of England, as the Picts were found in this region at the time.
A more likely suggestion is that Curlewe is derived from the Old English noun cwellew, which means ‘cuckoo’. This is supported by the fact that variants of the name such as Curtlief and Curlew appear in other parts of England, and because the word cuckoo was often used in Anglo-Saxon poetry as a metaphor for death. Thus, the surname could have referred to the swiftness of death, just as the cuckoo's call in Spring is used to imply the passing of time.
Overall, the last name Curlewe is of uncertain origin, but might either derive from a Norse personal name or possibly from an Anglo-Saxon word implying the swiftness of death.
Order DNA origin analysisCurlewe: Where does the name Curlewe come from?
The last name Curlewe is typically found in England and Wales. It has been identified as an uncommon surname with only a few hundred people having the surname within the UK. Records of the surname can be found as far back as the 16th century, mainly in the West Midlands area.
The surname likely derives from the Old-English and Old Norse family name "Corlew", which is a combination of the words ‘cor’, meaning ‘raven’ and ‘lewhe’, meaning ‘kamp’. This combination of words would have essentially meant a ‘battle cry led by ravens’ - a sign of good luck for those in battle.
Today, the surname Curlewe is still most commonly found in England and Wales but can also be found in Scotland, Ireland and some parts of Continental Europe. It is quite a rare surname and those with the surname tend to have quite strong family connections to the UK as a result.
The origin of the Curlewe surname is an interesting one, as it dates back to the 16th century and is derived from a combination of the words 'raven' and 'kamp' - which invokes a sense of strength and power. Given its rare nature, having the Curlewe surname today is something of a unique identifier which connects families with its roots in English medieval history.
Variations of the surname Curlewe
The surname Curlewe is of Old English origin, which dates back to the pre-7th century period. It has several variants and spellings such as Curle, Curl, Currell, Currells, Currill, Curtle, Curtlew, Curly, Curlew, or Curlw. The name is also known by several surnames, including Curlewes, Curleng, Currant, and Corlein.
The surname originally denoted a person who lived near a marsh or marshy area. The earlier spelling of this name was 'de Curlew', which derived from the Old English word 'curlew' - meaning a wading bird of the same name - which likely inhabited the vicinity of the family's original residence.
The surname Curlew is one of the oldest recorded, as there are records of its variant spelling, ‘Enhha de Curlewe’ as early as 1189, in the 'Pipe Rolls of Norfolk'. Similarly, 'Ralph de Curlewe' is recorded in 1273, in the 'Hundred Rolls' of Gloucestershire.
The surname Curlew is most prevalent in England and Ireland, although it is also found in Scotland, Wales, and other parts of the British Isles. It is notable that there are several lines of the Curlewe family in the United States, with the earliest record of the surname being of Sarah Curlewe, who arrived in Maryland, the United States in 1653.
While some of the variants of the Curlew surname may have died out, the surname itself is still relatively common in the British Isles today. It is still found all across the world, and the descendants of those who may have taken the surname with them in their travels.
Famous people with the name Curlewe
- Mark Curlew, Canadian actor
- Floella Benjamin, Baroness Benjamin of Beckenham, OBE, DL, whose original last name was Curlew
- Ferdie Curlew, former Canadian professional ice hockey player
- Stuart Curlew, English former professional footballer
- Kay Curlew, Australian sprint canoeist
- Keith Curlew, English professional footballer
- Thomas Curlew, American politician
- John Curlew, British sailor and war veteran
- Earl Curlew, American college football coach
- Graham Curlew, English footballer