NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcmurtry

Derived from Gaelic "Mac Muircheartaigh," meaning "son of Muircheartach," a personal name meaning "navigator" or "sea-worthy."

In the 1881 census there were 12 people recorded with the Mcmurtry surname, ranking it #31,914 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 131, ranked #26,004, up from #31,914 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Derbyshire Dales, Cheshire West and Chester and Preston.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcmurtry is 134 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 991.7%.

1881 census count

12

Ranked #31,914

Modern count

131

2016, ranked #26,004

Peak year

2011

134 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcmurtry had 12 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #31,914 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 131 in 2016, ranked #26,004.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 23 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mcmurtry surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcmurtry surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcmurtry 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 10 #31,497
1861 historical 9 #32,724
1881 historical 12 #31,914
1891 historical 20 #32,579
1901 historical 22 #31,562
1911 historical 23 #30,923
1997 modern 117 #24,553
1998 modern 120 #24,793
1999 modern 120 #24,960
2000 modern 130 #23,785
2001 modern 124 #24,114
2002 modern 132 #23,680
2003 modern 127 #24,019
2004 modern 119 #25,200
2005 modern 117 #25,433
2006 modern 117 #25,695
2007 modern 118 #25,913
2008 modern 117 #26,351
2009 modern 122 #26,220
2010 modern 128 #26,036
2011 modern 134 #25,050
2012 modern 132 #25,289
2013 modern 127 #26,452
2014 modern 129 #26,352
2015 modern 131 #25,979
2016 modern 131 #26,004

Geography

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Where Mcmurtrys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Derbyshire Dales, Cheshire West and Chester, Preston, Waveney and Waverley. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Derbyshire Dales 010 Derbyshire Dales
2 Cheshire West and Chester 007 Cheshire West and Chester
3 Preston 004 Preston
4 Waveney 001 Waveney
5 Waverley 013 Waverley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcmurtry

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcmurtry

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Mcmurtry, 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 Mcmurtry surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Mcmurtry 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

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Mcmurtry 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.

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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

Mcmurtry is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mcmurtry falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mcmurtry 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Mcmurtry

The surname McMurtry originates from Scotland and is a variant of the name MacMhurich or MacVurich, which means "son of the mariner" or "son of the seaman" in Gaelic. This name can be traced back to the medieval Scottish Highlands, where it was particularly prevalent in the regions of Argyll and the Western Isles.

The earliest recorded instance of the name McMurtry can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, which date back to the 13th century. One notable entry from 1296 mentions a person named Gillecrist McMurich, who was a tenant of the Earl of Ross in the northern part of Scotland.

In the 16th century, the McMurtry surname appeared in various Scottish records, such as the Ragman Rolls of 1296 and the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1523. These documents list individuals with the name McMurtry, often in connection with land ownership or legal proceedings.

The McMurtry name has also been associated with several notable historical figures. One of the earliest was John McMurtry, a Scottish scholar and clergyman born in 1591, who served as the minister of Ayr and later became the principal of the University of Glasgow.

Another prominent individual with this surname was Sir William McMurtry, born in 1824, who was a Scottish engineer and inventor. He is best known for his contributions to the development of the pneumatic tire and the vulcanization process for rubber.

In the 19th century, James McMurtry, born in 1810, was a Scottish-American businessman and politician. He served as the mayor of Louisville, Kentucky, and was a prominent figure in the city's economic and social development.

Additionally, a notable literary figure with the McMurtry surname was Larry McMurtry, an American novelist and screenwriter born in 1936. He is best known for his novels "Lonesome Dove" and "The Last Picture Show," both of which were adapted into successful films.

Lastly, the name McMurtry has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as the village of Kilmory Loch Fyne in Argyll and Bute, which was historically spelled as Kilmurtry or Kilmortry.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

FAQ

Mcmurtry surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcmurtry surname in 1881?

In 1881, 12 people were recorded with the Mcmurtry surname. That placed it at #31,914 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcmurtry surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 131 in 2016. That gives Mcmurtry a modern rank of #26,004.

What does the Mcmurtry surname mean?

Derived from Gaelic "Mac Muircheartaigh," meaning "son of Muircheartach," a personal name meaning "navigator" or "sea-worthy."

What does the Mcmurtry map show?

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