Curling gets its name from the curling (curving) motion of the stone as it slides over the ice with a gentle rotation.

Where the word comes from

  • The term “curling” is first recorded in 1620 in Scotland, in the preface and verses of a poem by Henry Adamson.
  • Linguistically, it’s a verbal noun from the Scots/English verb “to curl,” describing the way something bends or curves.
  • In the sport, players give the stone a slight spin so it doesn’t go straight — it slowly curves, or curls , as it travels down the ice toward the target.

How the motion inspired the name

  • When a stone is released with rotation, friction differences under its running surface make its path bend rather than stay perfectly straight. This characteristic movement became the defining feature of the game.
  • As the game evolved from frozen Scottish ponds in the 16th century, the name “curling” stuck because it neatly captured that signature, tactical curve of the stones.

Fun extra: “the roaring game”

  • Curling is also traditionally nicknamed “the roaring game” thanks to the rumbling sound granite stones make sliding over the pebbled ice.
  • So while “roaring” describes the sound, “curling” describes the look of the stone’s path — the visible curl that gives the sport its name.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.