NameCensus.

UK surname

Murdie

Of Scottish origin, a nickname surname for an ill-tempered or gloomy person.

In the 1881 census there were 139 people recorded with the Murdie surname, ranking it #16,228 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 273, ranked #15,800, up from #16,228 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ancrum, Morebattle and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hawick North, Northumberland and Friockheim.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Murdie is 286 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 96.4%.

1881 census count

139

Ranked #16,228

Modern count

273

2016, ranked #15,800

Peak year

2000

286 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Murdie had 139 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,228 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 273 in 2016, ranked #15,800.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 206 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Murdie surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Murdie surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Murdie 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 146 #13,157
1861 historical 144 #15,817
1881 historical 139 #16,228
1891 historical 161 #17,473
1901 historical 206 #14,845
1911 historical 112 #21,274
1997 modern 247 #15,399
1998 modern 276 #14,679
1999 modern 272 #14,912
2000 modern 286 #14,385
2001 modern 268 #14,812
2002 modern 274 #14,849
2003 modern 271 #14,787
2004 modern 263 #15,189
2005 modern 269 #14,869
2006 modern 264 #15,170
2007 modern 270 #15,080
2008 modern 272 #15,152
2009 modern 277 #15,260
2010 modern 266 #16,067
2011 modern 269 #15,800
2012 modern 258 #16,165
2013 modern 267 #16,053
2014 modern 272 #15,949
2015 modern 270 #15,911
2016 modern 273 #15,800

Geography

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Where Murdies are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ancrum, Morebattle, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry, Lochbroom and Assynt. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Hawick North, Northumberland, Friockheim and Newark and Sherwood. 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 Ancrum Roxburgh
2 Morebattle Roxburgh
3 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
4 Lochbroom Ross And Cromarty
5 Assynt Sutherland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hawick North Scottish Borders
2 Northumberland 013 Northumberland
3 Friockheim Angus
4 Newark and Sherwood 001 Newark and Sherwood
5 Northumberland 012 Northumberland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Murdie

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Murdie

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

Murdie 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

Murdie 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 Murdie is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Murdie

The surname Murdie has its origins in Scotland, with the earliest recorded examples dating back to the 15th century. It is thought to have derived from the Scottish Gaelic word "muirgheadh," meaning "mariner" or "seafarer," suggesting that the name's bearers may have been historically associated with maritime professions.

Records indicate that the name was particularly prevalent in the coastal regions of eastern Scotland, including areas such as Fife, Angus, and Aberdeenshire. The earliest known reference to the name appears in the "Exchequer Rolls of Scotland" from 1488, where a certain David Murdie is mentioned as a resident of Dundee.

In the 16th century, the name Murdie can be found in various historical documents, including the "Protocol Book of John Foular" from 1532, which mentions a Thomas Murdie, a landowner in the parish of St. Andrews. Another notable individual from this period was Robert Murdie, a merchant who lived in Edinburgh in the late 1500s and was involved in trade with the Netherlands.

As the centuries progressed, the Murdie name continued to be associated with Scotland's coastal communities and maritime industries. One notable figure was Captain John Murdie, a Scottish sea captain born in Anstruther, Fife, in 1725, who gained fame for his exploits during the Seven Years' War.

In the 19th century, the name Murdie appeared in various Scottish records, including birth, marriage, and death registers, as well as census records. A notable individual from this period was Alexander Murdie, born in 1812 in Arbroath, Angus, who became a successful shipbuilder and was involved in the construction of several notable vessels.

Other historical figures bearing the Murdie surname include Robert Murdie, a Scottish poet and author born in Dundee in 1836, and William Murdie, a prominent architect from Aberdeen who was active in the late 19th century and designed several notable buildings in the city.

Throughout its history, the surname Murdie has maintained a strong association with Scotland, particularly its coastal regions and maritime heritage. While the name has spread to other parts of the world through emigration, its roots can be traced back to the seafaring communities of eastern Scotland in the 15th century and beyond.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Murdie families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Murdie 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. Northumberland leads with 55 Murdies recorded in 1881 and an index of 27.87x.

County Total Index
Northumberland 55 27.87x
Roxburghshire 29 120.68x
Ross-shire 9 24.70x
Angus 8 6.51x
Sutherland 7 68.63x
Berwickshire 6 37.36x
Clackmannanshire 5 45.62x
Cheshire 4 1.37x
Lanarkshire 3 0.70x
Hertfordshire 2 2.19x
Middlesex 2 0.15x
Ayrshire 1 1.01x
Durham 1 0.25x
Midlothian 1 0.56x
Peeblesshire 1 16.03x
Renfrewshire 1 0.97x
Somerset 1 0.47x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bothal Demesne in Northumberland leads with 11 Murdies recorded in 1881 and an index of 1170.21x.

Place Total Index
Bothal Demesne 11 1170.21x
Alwinton 8 20000.00x
Belford 8 1904.76x
Rescobie 7 2258.06x
Assynt 6 967.74x
Coldstream 6 517.24x
Embleton 6 1428.57x
Lochbroom 6 315.79x
Morebattle 6 1304.35x
Wilton 6 227.27x
Alloa 5 94.16x
Jedburgh 5 212.77x
Kyloe 5 1086.96x
Alnwick 4 117.99x
Ancrum 4 645.16x
Oxnam 4 1290.32x
Sprouston 4 851.06x
Glasgow 3 3.94x
Lowick 3 434.78x
Tranmere 3 27.88x
Westgate 3 24.55x
Edderton 2 555.56x
Kensington London 2 2.71x
Milfield 2 2500.00x
Shoreswood 2 1818.18x
St Albans 2 106.95x
Bedminster 1 4.98x
Dornoch 1 86.96x
East Greenock 1 10.30x
Edinburgh St Andrews 1 68.03x
Eglingham Crawley Hedgeley 1 1000.00x
Innerleithen 1 60.24x
Liff Benvie 1 5.36x
Longbenton 1 11.96x
Newbiggin In Castle Ward 1 3333.33x
Noctorum 1 2000.00x
Stair 1 238.10x
Urray 1 88.50x
Westoe 1 4.47x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 6
Mary 4
Annie 3
Alice 2
Ann 2
Isabella 2
Jane 2
Barbara 1
Elen 1
Ella 1
Ellen 1
Jesse 1
Joan 1
Margaret 1
Robina 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 8
James 6
Robert 4
William 4
George 3
Henry 3
Thomas 2
Alexander 1
Andrew 1
Peter 1
Smith 1
Walter 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 Murdie households.

FAQ

Murdie surname: questions and answers

How common was the Murdie surname in 1881?

In 1881, 139 people were recorded with the Murdie surname. That placed it at #16,228 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Murdie surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 273 in 2016. That gives Murdie a modern rank of #15,800.

What does the Murdie surname mean?

Of Scottish origin, a nickname surname for an ill-tempered or gloomy person.

What does the Murdie map show?

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