Curiel family
The Curiel family, also known as Curiël in Dutch and sometimes as da Costa, is a prominent Sephardi Jewish lineage from Western Europe. Their origins reach back to the 14th century in Curiel de Duero, Castile, Spain. After the 1492 decree that forced many Jews to convert or leave, the Curiels settled in Coimbra, Portugal. Abraham Curiel became a notable physician in Lisbon and ensured his children stayed true to Judaism.
The family was ennobled in 1641 by King João IV of Portugal and later held noble titles in Portugal, Spain, and the Netherlands. They built influence in banking, commerce, the arts, literature, and politics. In 1647, David Curiel financed the Spanish delegation at the Peace of Westphalia, and many Curiels supported Hebrew scholarship and Jewish life, sometimes openly and sometimes as crypto-Jews.
The Curiels played a major role in Jewish communities, especially in Hamburg, where the Ner Tamid lamp and other synagogue treasures were funded by Jacob Curiel, and where the family remained influential in Dutch Jewish life for decades. Moses Curiel’s son Nathan Curiel owned a renowned medieval illuminated Hebrew Bible, a treasured artifact of Dutch Jewry, and their home on Amsterdam’s Nieuwe Herengracht signified their prominence.
Among related figures is Uriel Uriel da Costa (also known as Uriel Acosta or Uriel Abadat), a Curiel-associated Portuguese-born philosopher who challenged traditional Jewish beliefs and faced ostracism by his relatives. His fate is debated, with some accounts suggesting tragedy or murder rather than a simple embrace of self-doubt.
Abraham Coriell appeared in Middlesex County, New Jersey, in 1702, and many descendants of Jacob Curiel (also known as Dom Duetre Nunes) trace their lineage to the family in North America.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 19:14 (CET).