NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcmurray

A Scottish and Irish topographical surname referring to someone who lived near the mouth of the River Murray.

In the 1881 census there were 1,189 people recorded with the Mcmurray surname, ranking it #3,395 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,013, ranked #3,199, up from #3,395 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Edinburgh and Kirkcudbright. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Summerston North, Milton East and Keppochhill.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcmurray is 2,065 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 69.3%.

1881 census count

1,189

Ranked #3,395

Modern count

2,013

2016, ranked #3,199

Peak year

2010

2,065 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcmurray had 1,189 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,395 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,013 in 2016, ranked #3,199.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,517 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mcmurray surname distribution map

The map shows where the Mcmurray surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Mcmurray surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcmurray over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 673 #3,857
1861 historical 867 #3,199
1881 historical 1,189 #3,395
1891 historical 1,297 #3,336
1901 historical 1,517 #3,387
1911 historical 603 #6,813
1997 modern 1,818 #3,303
1998 modern 1,872 #3,348
1999 modern 1,938 #3,258
2000 modern 1,927 #3,267
2001 modern 1,877 #3,271
2002 modern 1,967 #3,215
2003 modern 1,905 #3,232
2004 modern 1,919 #3,215
2005 modern 1,881 #3,236
2006 modern 1,901 #3,233
2007 modern 1,928 #3,215
2008 modern 1,972 #3,176
2009 modern 2,034 #3,168
2010 modern 2,065 #3,189
2011 modern 2,038 #3,191
2012 modern 1,969 #3,224
2013 modern 2,028 #3,206
2014 modern 2,025 #3,234
2015 modern 2,007 #3,228
2016 modern 2,013 #3,199

Geography

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Where Mcmurrays are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Kirkcudbright, Glasgow and Paisley Abbey. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Summerston North, Milton East, Keppochhill, Laighstonehall and Hareleeshill. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Kirkcudbright Kirkcudbright
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Paisley Abbey Renfrew

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Summerston North Glasgow City
2 Milton East Glasgow City
3 Keppochhill Glasgow City
4 Laighstonehall South Lanarkshire
5 Hareleeshill South Lanarkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcmurray

These lists show first names that appear often with the Mcmurray surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcmurray

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Mcmurray, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Mcmurray surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Mcmurray household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Mcmurray is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mcmurray is most concentrated in decile 2 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mcmurray falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mcmurray is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Mcmurray, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Mcmurray

The surname McMurray has its origins in the Scottish Highlands and Isles. It is a habitational name derived from the Scottish Gaelic "Mac Mhuirich" meaning "son of the mariner" or "son of the sea-prospector." The earliest known bearers of the name were descendants of the clan MacMhuirich, who were renowned as professional poets and historians to the Lords of the Isles.

The McMurray name can be traced back to the 13th century on the Isle of Mull, located in the Inner Hebrides off the west coast of Scotland. Early records show variations of the spelling, such as MacMurrich, MacMurray, and MacMhuirich. The name is believed to have originated from the Gaelic personal name "Muireach" or "Murrich," meaning "mariner" or "one who scours the sea."

One of the earliest known references to the McMurray name appears in the Book of the Dean of Lismore, a 16th-century manuscript compiled by Sir James MacGregor, the Dean of Lismore. This manuscript contains poems and genealogies of Scottish clans, including works by members of the MacMhuirich family.

In the 17th century, Lachlan McMurray (1630-1700) was a prominent member of the clan and served as the last official "seanachaidh" or hereditary historian to the MacDonalds of Sleat. His son, Niall McMurray (1670-1734), continued the family tradition as a poet and historian.

During the 18th century, John McMurray (1720-1790) was a Scottish Episcopalian clergyman who served as the Bishop of Virginia from 1771 until his death. He played a significant role in the early days of the Episcopal Church in the United States.

Another notable figure with the McMurray surname was William McMurray (1813-1894), a Scottish-born American businessman and philanthropist. He co-founded the McMurray College for Women in Abilene, Texas, which later became part of the University of Texas system.

In the 20th century, John McMurray (1891-1976) was a Scottish philosopher and professor at the University of Edinburgh. He made significant contributions to the fields of philosophy of education and ethics, and his works include "The Problem of the Self" and "The Structure of Language and Its Philosophical Import."

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mcmurray families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcmurray surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Cumberland leads with 12 Mcmurrays recorded in 1881 and an index of 20.13x.

County Total Index
Cumberland 12 20.13x
Essex 8 5.85x
Yorkshire 8 1.17x
Glamorgan 7 5.81x
Lancashire 6 0.73x
Warwickshire 6 3.44x
Middlesex 5 0.72x
Flintshire 4 21.49x
Northamptonshire 4 6.14x
Derbyshire 3 2.77x
Hampshire 2 1.41x
Hertfordshire 2 4.19x
Kent 2 0.85x
Denbighshire 1 3.82x
Northumberland 1 0.97x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Warley in Yorkshire leads with 8 Mcmurrays recorded in 1881 and an index of 404.04x.

Place Total Index
Warley 8 404.04x
Birmingham 6 10.31x
Caldewgate 6 183.49x
Barking 5 125.00x
St Cuthbert W O 5 171.82x
Duston 4 677.97x
Llanwonno 4 92.38x
Nannerch 4 5000.00x
Shoreditch London 4 13.33x
Claylane 3 198.68x
Swansea Town 3 30.36x
West Ham 3 9.94x
Gillingham 2 41.07x
Liverpool 2 4.01x
Rickmansworth 2 152.67x
Aldershot 1 21.05x
Chorley 1 21.69x
Farnborough 1 67.11x
Henllan 1 149.25x
Manchester 1 2.71x
St Andrew Holborn 1 42.55x
Toxteth Park 1 3.59x
Wallsend 1 30.58x
Whitehaven 1 31.45x
Withington 1 37.74x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Mcmurray surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Mcmurray surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 7
John 6
James 3
Frederick 2
George 2
Joseph 2
Robert 2
Thomas 2
Wm. 2
Alfred 1
Archibald 1
Chas. 1
Chas.Albert 1
David 1
F. 1
Robt.Innis 1
Samuel 1
Thos.Henry 1
W. 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Mcmurray surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcmurray surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,189 people were recorded with the Mcmurray surname. That placed it at #3,395 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcmurray surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,013 in 2016. That gives Mcmurray a modern rank of #3,199.

What does the Mcmurray surname mean?

A Scottish and Irish topographical surname referring to someone who lived near the mouth of the River Murray.

What does the Mcmurray map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Mcmurray bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.