Hurley (surname)

This article includes a list of general references, but it remains largely unverified because it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (October 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

Hurley is a surname of Irish and English origin, with the Irish version of the name being far more common. The English version of the name is a habitational name from places of the same name in Berkshire and Warwickshire; the name being derived from Old English hyrne ‘corner’, ‘bend’ + leah ‘wood’, ‘clearing'.^[1]

In Ireland, 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 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". 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.

People with the surname[]

• Alexander Hurley (1871–1913), British performer
• Andrew Hurley (academic), English translator of Spanish literature
• Andrew Michael Hurley (born 1975), English novelist
• Andy Hurley (born 1980), American drummer
• Annette Hurley (born 1955), Australian Senator
• Billy Hurley III (born 1982) American professional golfer
• 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 1973), former player and current coach
• Bruce Hurley (1934–2020), American politician
• Chad Hurley (born 1977), American businessman
• Charles Hurley (disambiguation), multiple people
• Chris Hurley (footballer) (born 1943), English former footballer
• Chris Hurley (police officer), Queensland police officer involved in the 2004 Palm Island death in custody
• Clyde Hurley (1916–1963), American Big Band Era musician
• David Hurley (born 1953) Retired Australian General and Governor of New South Wales, Governor-general of Australia
• David Hurley (singer) (born 1962), English countertenor and member of the King's Singers
• Denis Hurley (disambiguation), multiple people
• Dick Hurley (1847–aft. 1916), American baseball player
• Douglas G. Hurley (born 1966), NASA astronaut
• Eddie Hurley (1908–1969), American baseball umpire
• Elizabeth Hurley (born 1965), British model and actress
• Eric Hurley (born 1985), professional baseball pitcher
• Francis Thomas Hurley (1927–2016), American Roman Catholic archbishop
• Francis X. Hurley (1903–1976), American politician
• 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
• Graham Hurley (born 1946), novelist
• 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 (disambiguation), multiple people
• Myke Hurley, British 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 (disambiguation), multiple people

See also[]

• O'Hurley (surname)
• O'Herlihy (surname)

References[]

External links[]

• Surname History: Hurley – Irish Times

Surname list

This page lists people with the surname Hurley.
If an intending to refer to a specific person led you to this page, you may wish to change that link by adding the person's given name(s) to the link.