NameCensus.

UK surname

Murie

A Scottish surname derived from the Old French word "murie", meaning "wall".

In the 1881 census there were 146 people recorded with the Murie surname, ranking it #15,752 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 268, ranked #16,003, down from #15,752 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Kinross, Bothwell and Govan Combination. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include IZ12, IZ14 and Corby.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Murie is 270 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 83.6%.

1881 census count

146

Ranked #15,752

Modern count

268

2016, ranked #16,003

Peak year

2015

270 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Murie had 146 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,752 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 268 in 2016, ranked #16,003.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 187 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Murie surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Murie surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Murie 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 128 #14,474
1861 historical 152 #15,126
1881 historical 146 #15,752
1891 historical 154 #18,004
1901 historical 187 #15,793
1911 historical 8 #32,903
1997 modern 256 #15,034
1998 modern 251 #15,631
1999 modern 252 #15,707
2000 modern 252 #15,659
2001 modern 239 #15,963
2002 modern 251 #15,770
2003 modern 243 #15,911
2004 modern 243 #16,004
2005 modern 237 #16,244
2006 modern 242 #16,097
2007 modern 249 #15,943
2008 modern 251 #16,026
2009 modern 245 #16,646
2010 modern 248 #16,886
2011 modern 235 #17,328
2012 modern 251 #16,467
2013 modern 259 #16,392
2014 modern 268 #16,111
2015 modern 270 #15,911
2016 modern 268 #16,003

Geography

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Where Muries are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Kinross, Bothwell, Govan Combination, Edinburgh and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to IZ12, IZ14, Corby, IZ16 and Benbecula and North Uist. 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 Kinross Kinross
2 Bothwell Lanark
3 Govan Combination Lanark
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 IZ12 West Dunbartonshire
2 IZ14 West Dunbartonshire
3 Corby 002 Corby
4 IZ16 West Dunbartonshire
5 Benbecula and North Uist Na h-Eileanan Siar

Forenames

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First names often paired with Murie

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Murie

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Murie is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Murie 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

Murie falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Murie 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 Murie, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Murie

The surname Murie originated in Scotland, with the earliest records dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Gaelic word "muireach," meaning "fertile" or "verdant," suggesting that the name may have been given to someone who lived in a fertile or lush area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Murie can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1264, where a person named "Gilbertus Murie" was mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use during that time period.

In the 14th century, the name Murie appeared in various Scottish documents, such as the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which listed people who swore fealty to King Edward I of England. This indicates that the Murie family was well-established in Scotland by that point.

The name Murie is also associated with several place names in Scotland, such as Muirhead, which is derived from the Scots Gaelic words "muir" (moor) and "heid" (head), and Muirton, which combines "muir" with the Scots word "toun" (town).

Historically, there have been several notable individuals with the surname Murie. One such person was Sir Robert Murie (1590-1657), a Scottish merchant and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Edinburgh during the reign of King Charles I.

Another prominent figure was Andrew Murie (1721-1784), a Scottish minister and author who served as the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1770. He was known for his writings on theology and ecclesiastical history.

In the 19th century, John Murie (1822-1881) was a Scottish-born naturalist and explorer who traveled extensively in the American West. He documented numerous plant and animal species and is recognized for his contributions to the field of natural history.

Olaus Murie (1889-1963) was a Norwegian-American naturalist and conservationist who played a significant role in the establishment of several national parks and wildlife refuges in the United States, including Jackson Hole National Monument (now part of Grand Teton National Park).

Margaret Murie (1902-2003), the wife of Olaus Murie, was also a renowned conservationist and author. She played a crucial role in the preservation of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1998 for her environmental advocacy.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Murie families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Murie 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. Lanarkshire leads with 60 Muries recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.21x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 60 13.21x
Perthshire 27 42.83x
Fife 15 18.04x
Angus 12 9.22x
Midlothian 12 6.38x
Yorkshire 7 0.50x
Kinross-shire 2 56.34x
Lancashire 2 0.12x
Renfrewshire 2 1.84x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.77x
Dunbartonshire 1 2.65x
Kincardineshire 1 5.85x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 4.92x
Middlesex 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Govan in Lanarkshire leads with 30 Muries recorded in 1881 and an index of 26.70x.

Place Total Index
Govan 30 26.70x
Perth East Church 10 168.35x
Bothwell 8 64.94x
Dundee 8 16.47x
Glasgow 7 8.68x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 6 7.93x
Kinnoull 6 361.45x
Saline 6 1304.35x
Dysart 5 89.29x
Kilspindie 5 1515.15x
Leeds 5 6.36x
Liberton 5 172.41x
New Monkland 5 37.23x
Strathmartine 4 689.66x
Dunfermline 3 23.46x
Old Monkland 3 16.64x
Barony 2 1.74x
Cambuslang 2 43.67x
Kinross 2 163.93x
Manningham 2 11.66x
Pendlebury 2 56.82x
Scone 2 178.57x
Tibbermore 2 222.22x
Aberdeen Old Machar 1 3.68x
Auchtergaven 1 94.34x
Bonhill 1 16.50x
Dalgety 1 156.25x
Dalziel 1 20.45x
Eastwood 1 14.93x
Hamilton 1 7.89x
Maryculter 1 192.31x
Newabbey 1 227.27x
Shotts 1 18.38x
South Leith 1 4.72x
St Madoes 1 666.67x
West Greenock 1 5.12x
Westminster St James 1 6.93x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 1
Emma 1
Harriette 1
Katharine 1
Margaret 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Alex 1
David 1
George 1
James 1
William 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 Murie households.

FAQ

Murie surname: questions and answers

How common was the Murie surname in 1881?

In 1881, 146 people were recorded with the Murie surname. That placed it at #15,752 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Murie surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 268 in 2016. That gives Murie a modern rank of #16,003.

What does the Murie surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from the Old French word "murie", meaning "wall".

What does the Murie map show?

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