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Irish surname

McCurtin: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Mac Cruitín (also Mac Cuirtín) · 'son of Cruitín' (hunch-backed)

Woulfe (1923) gives MacCurtin as an anglicised form of Mac Cruitín, 'son of Cruitín' (hunch-backed), the name of a learned family of antiquaries in Thomond with lands in Co. Clare; a branch settled in East Limerick some time prior to 1600. The Dictionary of National Biography says that MacCurtin ollamhs of Thomond who died in 1376, 1404 and 1434 'were all of their family', the family of the poet Andrew MacCurtin. Andrew and Hugh MacCurtin were Irish scholars and poets in the 18th century.

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Coat of arms associated with the McCurtin surname
Irish formMac Cruitín (also Mac Cuirtín)
Meaning'son of Cruitín' (hunch-backed)
CountiesClare, Limerick
Other spellings4

Origin of the McCurtin name

Woulfe: 'the name of a learned family of antiquaries in Thomond, whose patrimony was Carrowduff, in the parish of Killaspuglonane, and Laghvally, in the parish of Kilmacreehy, Co. Clare. A branch of the family settled in East Limerick some time prior to 1600.' Mac Cuirtín is 'a metathesized form of Mac Cruitín'.[1][2]

  1. 1376Four Masters: Kellach Mac Curtin, chief Historian of Thomond, died.[5][8]
  2. 1404Four Masters: Gilla-Duivin Mac Curtin, Ollav of Thomond in music, died.[6][8]
  3. 1434Four Masters: Sencha Mac Curtin, Ollav of Thomond in history, died.[7][8]
  4. 1717Hugh MacCurtin publishes 'A brief Discourse in Vindication of the Antiquity of Ireland'.[9]
  5. 1728Hugh MacCurtin publishes 'The Elements of the Irish Language'.[9]
  6. 1732MacCurtin and O'Begly's English-Irish dictionary published in Paris.[9]

Where in Ireland

Co. ClarePatrimony at Carrowduff (Killaspuglonane) and Laghvally (Kilmacreehy); Andrew and Hugh MacCurtin were Clare men.[1][8][9]
Co. LimerickWoulfe: a branch settled in East Limerick some time prior to 1600.[1]

Notable people named McCurtin

Andrew MacCurtind. 1749Clare poet and scribe; DNB calls him hereditary ollamh to the O'Briens and an authority on Munster pedigrees.[8][10]
Hugh MacCurtin1680?–1756Antiquary from Kilmacreehy, Co. Clare; wrote an Irish grammar (1728) and co-compiled an English-Irish dictionary (1732).[9][10]

Other spellings

MacCurtin · M'Crutten · M'Cruttan · Curtin[1][2]

The McCurtin coat of arms

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the McCurtin surname. In Irish and British heraldry a coat of arms is granted to one person and passes to their heirs; it does not belong to everyone who shares the surname. Many families still use the arms of their name as a symbol of their heritage.

McCurtin crest gifts

Clan Maccurtin Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapWT92 Classic Cap - Maccurtin Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Maccurtin Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00Clan Mccurtin Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapEK59 Classic Cap - Mccurtin Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Mccurtin Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00Clan Maccurtin Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap QE46 Maccurtin Coat Of Arms Irish Cap Maccurtin Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap£26.00Clan Mccurtin Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap IT12 Mccurtin Coat Of Arms Irish Cap Mccurtin Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap£26.00

McCurtin surname: questions

What does the surname McCurtin mean?

Woulfe gives MacCurtin as a form of Mac Cruitín, 'son of Cruitín', which he glosses as 'hunch-backed'.[1]

Where in Ireland is the McCurtin name from?

Woulfe places the Mac Cruitín family in Thomond, with lands at Carrowduff and Laghvally in Co. Clare, and says a branch settled in East Limerick before 1600.[1]

Who were the MacCurtins of Thomond?

Woulfe calls them 'a learned family of antiquaries in Thomond'. The Dictionary of National Biography says that Cenllach MacCurtin, ollamh of Thomond (d. 1376), Giolladuibin MacCurtin, ollamh of Thomond and harper (d. 1404), Seancha MacCurtin, ollamh of Thomond (d. 1434), and Geonann MacCurtin, 'the best student of history in his time in the south of Ireland' (d. 1436), 'were all of their family', the family of the poet Andrew MacCurtin.[1][8]

Is McCurtin the same name as Curtin?

Partly. Woulfe gives Curtin as an anglicised form of Mac Cruitín, but he also gives Curtin for other, separate Irish names, such as Mac Curtáin and Mac Cairteáin in Co. Cork, so not every Curtin is a MacCurtin of Thomond.[1][3][4]

Sources

  1. Mac Cruitín — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/macc/mac-cruitin.php
  2. Mac Cuirtín — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/macc/mac-cuirtin.php
  3. Mac Curtáin — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/macc/mac-curtain.php
  4. Mac Cairteáin — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/macc/mac-cairteain.php
  5. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 1376 (part 1) — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005D/text001.html
  6. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 1404 (part 4) — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005D/text004.html
  7. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 1434–1436 (part 7) — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005D/text007.html
  8. MacCurtin, Andrew — Dictionary of National Biography, 1885–1900, vol. 35, Wikisource. en.wikisource.org/wiki/Dictionary_of_National_Biography,_1885-1900/...
  9. MacCurtin, Hugh — Dictionary of National Biography, 1885–1900, vol. 35 (Norman Moore), Wikisource. en.wikisource.org/wiki/Dictionary_of_National_Biography,_1885-1900/...
  10. MacCurtin, Hugh and Andrew — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/HughandAndrewMacCurtin.php