NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcmurtrie

A Scottish surname derived from a personal name meaning "son of a man called Muireach".

In the 1881 census there were 481 people recorded with the Mcmurtrie surname, ranking it #6,969 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 406, ranked #11,754, down from #6,969 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Dailly and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Dalbeattie, Irvine East and Greenock Upper Central.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcmurtrie is 579 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 15.6%.

1881 census count

481

Ranked #6,969

Modern count

406

2016, ranked #11,754

Peak year

1901

579 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcmurtrie had 481 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,969 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 406 in 2016, ranked #11,754.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 579 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Mcmurtrie surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcmurtrie surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Mcmurtrie 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 352 #6,705
1861 historical 423 #6,073
1881 historical 481 #6,969
1891 historical 529 #7,085
1901 historical 579 #7,261
1911 historical 47 #28,110
1997 modern 372 #11,621
1998 modern 399 #11,354
1999 modern 400 #11,439
2000 modern 382 #11,792
2001 modern 374 #11,805
2002 modern 387 #11,713
2003 modern 372 #11,881
2004 modern 376 #11,798
2005 modern 356 #12,219
2006 modern 347 #12,515
2007 modern 361 #12,303
2008 modern 364 #12,328
2009 modern 376 #12,290
2010 modern 388 #12,271
2011 modern 373 #12,496
2012 modern 402 #11,683
2013 modern 407 #11,766
2014 modern 404 #11,906
2015 modern 396 #11,994
2016 modern 406 #11,754

Geography

Back to top

Where Mcmurtries are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Dalbeattie, Irvine East, Greenock Upper Central, Dean and New Farm Loch North and IZ01. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Dailly Ayr
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Dalmellington Ayr

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Dalbeattie Dumfries and Galloway
2 Irvine East North Ayrshire
3 Greenock Upper Central Inverclyde
4 Dean and New Farm Loch North East Ayrshire
5 IZ01 West Dunbartonshire

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Mcmurtrie

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Mcmurtrie

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Mcmurtrie, 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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Mcmurtrie surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Mcmurtrie household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Mcmurtrie is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Mcmurtrie is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mcmurtrie falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mcmurtrie is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Mcmurtrie

The surname McMurtrie has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the 12th century. It is a territorial name derived from the lands of Mortherieu or Morderie in Lanarkshire. The name is believed to have evolved from the Gaelic words 'mor' meaning 'great' and 'thir' meaning 'land' or 'territory'.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which list those who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England after his invasion of Scotland. The name is spelled as 'Mordrey' in these rolls.

In the 16th century, the spelling of the name evolved to 'McMurtrie', reflecting its Scottish patronymic origins. This spelling became more standardized in the following centuries.

A notable bearer of the name was James McMurtrie (1633-1713), a Scottish minister and theologian who served as the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1690.

Another prominent figure was William McMurtrie (1801-1875), a Scottish-born American lawyer and politician who served as the 8th Governor of Minnesota from 1857 to 1858.

In the 19th century, the McMurtrie surname was also found in the United States, with bearers such as George McMurtrie (1801-1865), an American educator and writer, and David McMurtrie Gregg (1833-1916), a cavalry officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

The McMurtrie name has also been associated with place names, such as McMurtrie's Hill in County Lanarkshire, Scotland, which was likely named after an early landholder with the surname.

Other notable individuals with the McMurtrie surname include John McMurtrie (1918-1998), a Canadian politician who served as the 23rd Lieutenant Governor of Ontario from 1992 to 1997, and George Edwin McMurtrie (1862-1940), an American physician and author known for his work on medical history and bibliography.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Mcmurtrie families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcmurtrie 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. Ayrshire leads with 8 Mcmurtries recorded in 1881 and an index of 109.89x.

County Total Index
Ayrshire 8 109.89x
Lancashire 1 0.87x
Middlesex 1 1.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Maybole in Ayrshire leads with 6 Mcmurtries recorded in 1881 and an index of 2727.27x.

Place Total Index
Maybole 6 2727.27x
Ayr 2 588.24x
Liverpool 1 14.27x
St George Hanover 1 78.74x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Mcmurtrie households.

Occupation Count
Cook 1
Licensed Victualler 1

FAQ

Mcmurtrie surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcmurtrie surname in 1881?

In 1881, 481 people were recorded with the Mcmurtrie surname. That placed it at #6,969 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcmurtrie surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 406 in 2016. That gives Mcmurtrie a modern rank of #11,754.

What does the Mcmurtrie surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from a personal name meaning "son of a man called Muireach".

What does the Mcmurtrie map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Mcmurtrie 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.