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Ireland, almost exclusively Munster O'Hurley, O'Herlihy, O'Mihire, Murphy possibly |
The surname Hurley has become the English version of at least three distinct original Irish names: the Ó hUirthile, part of the Dál gCais tribal group, based in Clare and North Tipperary; the Ó Muirthile, from the environs of Kilbrittain in west Cork; and the Ó hIarlatha, from the district of Ballyvourney, also in Cork, whose name is more usually anglicised "(O')Herlihy". The principal concentrations of Hurleys are today found in counties Tipperary and Limerick, where they spread from the original Dalcassian homeland, and in Cork. An interesting example of the pseudo-translation of surnames is found in Clare, where some whose name was originally Hurley have now adopted the surname "Commane", since the Irish for the hurley-stick used in the sport of hurling is camán while the name "Commane" does not originate from that source.
The exact meaning of the name Hurley is uncertain, due to it being a conglomerate of various Irish names. The "O'Muirthile" root in particular seems to roughly translate to "of the sea tides", implying the earliest Hurleys were seafearers, and giving it a strikingly similar meaning to the name Murphy. But while Murphy is the most common surname in all of Ireland, Hurley is found almost exclusively in Munster. It is one of the more common names in County Cork, with something of a presence in Kerry and Limerick as well, but is rare in the rest of the island. Whether or not it is a regional variant of "Murphy" in Southwestern Ireland is unknown.
In the United States, it is the 807th most common surname.
Alexander Hurley (1871–1913), English performer
Andy Hurley (born 1980), American drummer
Annette Hurley (born 1955), Australian Senator
An American family involved with basketball:
Bob Hurley (born 1947), high school coach and Hall of Famer
His older son Bobby Hurley (born 1971), former player and current coach
His younger son Dan Hurley (born c. 1973), former player and current coach
Bruce Hurley (born 1934), American politician
Chad Hurley (born 1976), American businessman
Charles F. Hurley (1893–1946), Massachusetts governor
Charlie Hurley (born 1936), Irish footballer
Charlie Hurley (IRA) (died 1921), Irish soldier
Chris Hurley (police officer), Queensland police officer involved in the 2004 Palm Island death in custody
Chris Hurley (footballer) (born 1943), English former footballer
Clyde Hurley (1916–1963), American Big Band Era musician
David Hurley, English countertenor (singer), member of the King's Singers
Denis Hurley (bishop) (1915–2004), South African Catholic Archbishop
Denis M. Hurley (1843–1899), Irish-American politician
Douglas G. Hurley (born 1966), NASA astronaut
Eddie Hurley (1908-1969), American baseball umpire
Elizabeth Hurley (born 1965), English model and actress
Eric Hurley (born 1985), professional baseball pitcher
Francis Thomas Hurley (1927-2016). American Roman Catholic archbishop
Frank Hurley (1885–1962), Australian photographer, member of Ernest Shackleton's exploration team
Frank Hurley (rugby league), Australian rugby league footballer of the 1930s, and 1940s
George Hurley (born 1958), drummer for The Minutemen, and Firehose
James Francis Hurley (born c. 1966), English murderer
Colonel John Hurley (fl. 1694), Jacobite and Rapparee,
Joseph L. Hurley (1898–1956), American politician
Kameron Hurley, American science fiction/fantasy writer and Hugo Award winner
Luke Hurley (born 1957), New Zealand songwriter
Marcus Hurley (1883–1941), American cyclist
Mark Joseph Hurley (1919-2001), American Roman Catholic bishop
Marty Hurley (born 1946), American marching band musician
Michael Hurley (musician) (born 1941), American singer and musician
Michael Hurley (footballer) (born 1990), Australian rules footballer
Myke Hurley, English podcaster
Patrick J. Hurley (1883–1963), American soldier, statesman and diplomat
Paul Hurley (born 1946), former American ice hockey player
Peter Hurley, Australian Broadcasting Corporation Board Member
Rosalind Hurley (1929–2004), knighted for service to medicine, science and law
Ryan Hurley (born 1975), former West Indian cricketer
Sean Hurley (1897–1961), Irish Sinologist
Steven Hurley (born 1962), American music producer and DJ
Tonya Hurley, American writer and director
William Hurley (carpenter), English carpenter (known works 1319–1354)
William H. "Dick" Hurley (1847–aft.1916), former American baseball player
William A. Hurley, American Thoroughbred horse trainer (1910s–1930s)
Hurley (surname) Wikipedia (Text) CC BY-SA