Curley
Curley is a surname, given name, nickname or stage name. It may refer to:
Meaning & Origin of Curley
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Curley is a surname, given name, nickname or stage name. It may refer to:
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Curley
As a girl name
American parents first put Curley on the record books as a girl name in 1904, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1919, when 20 Curleys were born — ranking #1,855 that year. The 1940s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 22% of all recorded Curleys. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 1964 (6 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 534 Curleys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1900s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
The earliest SSA record of Curley as a boy name dates back to 1881, when 6 babies received it. 1944 was its biggest year on record, with 68 newborns named Curley — #754 in the national rankings. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 2003 (5 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 3K Curleys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Curley
Phonetically similar names — useful when Curley is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Curley
What does the name Curley mean?
How popular is Curley in 2026?
When was Curley most popular?
In which U.S. states is Curley most popular?
Is Curley a unisex name?
What names go well with Curley?
About the name Curley
Curley is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1881 and has accumulated 3K births in the dataset. Curley's peak popularity came in 1944 when it ranked #754. Use the chart and map above to compare Curley's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1944 →
- Names of the 1940s →
- Names starting with "C" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.