Curiel
A Spanish surname most likely taken from a place name, with roots in an old toponym in Castile and León.
The #3,571 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 30,927 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Curiel is best understood as a habitational surname, meaning it was originally used for someone who came from a place called Curiel. The name is associated with Curiel de Duero in Valladolid, Spain, and likely goes back to an older local place-name rather than to a transparent everyday word. Because the historical source excerpt simply lists the surname among place-based names, the exact deeper root is not given here and should be treated cautiously.
History
As with many Spanish surnames, Curiel spread outward from a local geographic name and later became hereditary. It is found in Spanish-speaking regions and, through emigration, in the Americas as well. The surname is relatively uncommon but clearly established in modern usage.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Curiel de Duero is an actual municipality in Valladolid, which gives the surname a very plausible geographic anchor.
From the historical record
“Cota, Cozar, Cruzada, Cuadrado, Cuadros , Cubas, Cubells, Cubillo, Cucalón, Cuenca, Cuero, Cuevas, Curiel, Cutanda, Chavarri, Checa, Chia, Chinchilla, Degollada, Deza, Donamaría, Doriga, Dueñas, > El apellido que suelen escribir Sillero puede venir : de Cillero, nombre de algunos lugares, que lo deberán á la cilla…”
— Ensayo histórico etimológico filológico sobre los apellidos castellanos