Curry

This unusual and interesting Anglo-Scottish surname has three possible origins. The first of these is English and a locational name from any one of the places in the counties of Cornwall but mainly Somerset such as Curry Mallet or Curry Revel, which are named from the river Curry, on which they stand. The etymology of the river name is obscure, but it may be from the pre 7th century Olde English word "cweorn," meaning a mill or mills. The other possible origins are both Scottish and also locational. The first is from the place called Currie in the former county of Midlothian, and recorded in this form in 1230. This is thought to be derived from the Gaelic word 'curraigh', meaning a wet plain or marsh, or secondly from the place called Corrie, in the former County of Dumfrieshire. This is named from the ancient Gaelic word 'coire', meaning a cauldron, but used in a transferred sense to describe a circular hanging valley by a mountain. The first recording of the name in Scotland is that of Philip de Curry of the town of Melrose in 1279, whilst in England an example is that of John Goddard and Margaret Curry who were married at St. George's chapel, Hanover Square, Westminster, in the year 1742. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Richard de Cury. This was dated 1212, in the tax registers known as the Fees Court, for Somerset, during the reign of King John of England, 1199 - 1216. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was sometimes known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.