NameCensus.

UK surname

Murison

Of uncertain Scottish origin, possibly derived from a nickname based on "muir" meaning moorland or hill.

In the 1881 census there were 296 people recorded with the Murison surname, ranking it #9,823 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 665, ranked #8,025, up from #9,823 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to New Deer, Aberdour and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Deer and Mormond, Huntly and Alyth.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Murison is 669 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 124.7%.

1881 census count

296

Ranked #9,823

Modern count

665

2016, ranked #8,025

Peak year

2014

669 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Murison had 296 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,823 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 665 in 2016, ranked #8,025.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 396 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Murison surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Murison surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Murison 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 200 #10,403
1861 historical 248 #9,947
1881 historical 296 #9,823
1891 historical 353 #9,760
1901 historical 396 #9,539
1911 historical 66 #26,249
1997 modern 608 #8,068
1998 modern 638 #8,020
1999 modern 646 #7,994
2000 modern 654 #7,906
2001 modern 631 #7,959
2002 modern 653 #7,915
2003 modern 640 #7,911
2004 modern 661 #7,739
2005 modern 652 #7,751
2006 modern 645 #7,853
2007 modern 648 #7,883
2008 modern 653 #7,890
2009 modern 652 #8,046
2010 modern 663 #8,114
2011 modern 651 #8,148
2012 modern 650 #8,072
2013 modern 652 #8,204
2014 modern 669 #8,069
2015 modern 654 #8,154
2016 modern 665 #8,025

Geography

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Where Murisons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around New Deer, Aberdour, Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Fyvie. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Deer and Mormond, Huntly, Alyth, Longside and Rattray and Culter. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 New Deer Aberdeen
2 Aberdour Aberdeen
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Fyvie Aberdeen

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Deer and Mormond Aberdeenshire
2 Huntly Aberdeenshire
3 Alyth Perth and Kinross
4 Longside and Rattray Aberdeenshire
5 Culter Aberdeen City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Murison

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Murison

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Murison is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Murison is most concentrated in decile 4 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Murison 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 Murison 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 Murison, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Murison

The surname Murison has its origins in Scotland, and it is believed to have emerged in the late 12th or early 13th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Old French word "murison," which means "fortified house" or "small castle." This suggests that the name may have been associated with a family or individual who resided in or near a fortified dwelling.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Murison can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which were a collection of homage rolls from Scottish noblemen and landowners. In these rolls, a John de Murison is mentioned as having sworn fealty to King Edward I of England. This indicates that the Murison family had established itself in Scotland by the late 13th century.

During the 14th and 15th centuries, the Murison name appeared in various Scottish records, including charters and land grants. One notable example is Sir Thomas Murison, who was granted lands in Invernesshire in the early 15th century. He was a prominent figure in the region and served as a Scottish ambassador to England in the 1440s.

In the 16th century, the Murison family continued to have a presence in Scotland, with some members holding positions of influence. John Murison, born in 1520, was a respected scholar and served as the principal of the University of Aberdeen from 1568 until his death in 1576.

The 17th century saw the emergence of a notable Murison, James Murison, who was born in 1625 in Edinburgh. He was a renowned mathematician and astronomer, and his contributions to the field of celestial mechanics were significant. Murison's work on comets and planetary orbits earned him recognition throughout Europe.

Another prominent figure with the Murison surname was Robert Murison, born in 1779 in Glasgow. He was a Scottish explorer and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of flora and fauna in various parts of the world. Murison's travels took him to South Africa, Australia, and the Pacific islands, where he documented numerous plant and animal species.

Throughout the centuries, the Murison name has been associated with various locations in Scotland, particularly in the regions of Invernesshire, Aberdeenshire, and the Scottish Borders. Variations of the name's spelling, such as Murisone, Moryson, and Morieson, have also been recorded in historical documents.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Murison families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Murison 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. Aberdeenshire leads with 180 Murisons recorded in 1881 and an index of 68.00x.

County Total Index
Aberdeenshire 180 68.00x
Angus 19 7.18x
Midlothian 16 4.18x
Perthshire 12 9.36x
Banffshire 10 16.87x
Norfolk 9 2.05x
Lanarkshire 7 0.76x
Middlesex 7 0.24x
Shetland 7 23.98x
Orkney 6 19.08x
Morayshire 4 9.01x
Argyllshire 3 3.77x
Ayrshire 3 1.40x
Dunbartonshire 3 3.91x
Lancashire 3 0.09x
Inverness-shire 2 2.34x
Kincardineshire 1 2.87x
Yorkshire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Fraserburgh in Aberdeenshire leads with 32 Murisons recorded in 1881 and an index of 429.53x.

Place Total Index
Fraserburgh 32 429.53x
New Deer 22 459.29x
Fyvie 15 347.22x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 14 28.27x
Longside 13 411.39x
Alyth 12 347.83x
Pitsligo 11 434.78x
Strichen 11 478.26x
Montrose 10 62.31x
Blofield 9 803.57x
Liff Benvie 9 22.39x
Old Deer 9 179.28x
Alvah 8 597.01x
Cluny 7 551.18x
Crimond 7 864.20x
Edinburgh Lady Yesters 7 264.15x
Tingwall 7 479.45x
Inverurie 6 200.67x
Islington London 6 2.17x
Rathen 6 216.61x
Tyrie 6 180.72x
Cruden 4 117.30x
Peterhead 4 28.57x
Aberdeen Old Machar 3 5.43x
Cumbernauld 3 71.26x
Drainie 3 76.34x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 3 1.95x
Edinburgh St Georges 3 37.74x
Govan 3 1.31x
Irvine 3 50.51x
Maryhill 3 16.58x
Rousay Egilshay 3 272.73x
Stromness 3 127.12x
West Derby 3 3.02x
Barra 2 93.90x
Dunoon Kilmun 2 32.26x
Gamrie 2 30.21x
Lonmay 2 83.33x
South Leith 2 4.64x
Aberdour 1 47.85x
Barony 1 0.43x
Colinton 1 23.42x
Culsalmond 1 123.46x
Dewsbury 1 3.44x
Drumblade 1 106.38x
Dyce 1 87.72x
Elgin 1 11.57x
Fintray 1 99.01x
Kemnay 1 62.50x
Lochgilphead 1 5000.00x
Monquhitter 1 36.50x
Nigg 1 34.72x
Oyne 1 106.38x
St Pancras London 1 0.43x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Catherine 2
Mary 2
Bertha 1
Ellen 1
Ethel 1
Laura 1
Maria 1
Nora 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Benjamin 2
John 2
Alexander 1
Arthur 1
David 1
Frederick 1
George 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 Murison households.

FAQ

Murison surname: questions and answers

How common was the Murison surname in 1881?

In 1881, 296 people were recorded with the Murison surname. That placed it at #9,823 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Murison surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 665 in 2016. That gives Murison a modern rank of #8,025.

What does the Murison surname mean?

Of uncertain Scottish origin, possibly derived from a nickname based on "muir" meaning moorland or hill.

What does the Murison map show?

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