Recorded in many forms as shown below, this is an Irish surname. It originates from the pre 10th century Olde Gaelic name O'Corraidhin, meaning "the male descendant of Corraidhin", a personal name from "corradh", a spear. The surname is numerous and widespread in Ireland both in its modern spellings forms and in the forms of O'Corrain or O'Currain. In the 16th and 17th Centuries, the name was found mainly in counties Waterford, Tipperary, Galway and Leitrim. In Kerry, the name was usually recorded as Currane, Corran, Curreen and Curren. One Andrew O'Curran, O.S.B., was appointed Prior of Glascarrig in 1411, after an interesting case of dispensation by the Pope. On July 14th 1755, Elizabeth Corrin married James Haselden at St. Nicholas, Liverpool. The marriage of Elizabeth Curran and John Lace took place on October 18th 1783, at St. Anne's, Soho, Westminster, London, whilst Mary Ann, daughter of John and Ellen Cureen was christened on May 19th 1786 at St. Nicholas church, Liverpool. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Simon O'Currin, which was dated 1300. He was the bishop of Kilfenora, during the reign of King Edward 1st of England, known as "The Hammer of the Scots", 1272 - 1307. 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.