An English and Irish surname, Hurley comes from the Old English terms ‘hyrne’ and ‘leah’ which meant the cleared corn of the land. There is also the Gaelic term ‘huirthile’ refers to a hurling stick. The spelling variations for Hurley include O’Hurlie, Commane, Hurlie and O’Hurley. An Irish variation of spelling is Herlihy. In England many with the Hurley surname originated in Warwickshire and Berkshire. Over the centuries the Hurley surname has spread to all of England and most of Wales. The higher populations are in Lancashire, Somerset, the city of London and in Glamorgan in Wales. In Ireland the Hurley name originated in the Limerick region. Over the years they resettled in County Tipperary and County Cork. In Scotland the Hurley population is concentrated mostly in Lanarkshire, Dunbartonshire, Midlothian and Angus counties. Within the United States the early Hurley families lived primarily in New York, Massachusetts, New jersey, Maryland, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky and Ohio. Famous: Douglas G. Hurley (astronaut), Michael Hurley (singer and musician), Elizabeth Jane Hurley (English actress and model), James “Frank” Hurley (film maker from Australia), Bob Hurley, Sr. (championship basketball coach), Clyde Hurley (musician), Charlie Hurley (footballer from Ireland), Luke Hurley (songwriter from New Zealand), Tonya Hurley (movie film and television writer and director) and Paul Hurley (ice hockey player).