NameCensus.

UK surname

Murr

A German and English occupational surname referring to someone who built or worked with stone walls.

In the 1881 census there were 115 people recorded with the Murr surname, ranking it #18,230 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 236, ranked #17,470, up from #18,230 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Gateshead, Lambeth and Tottenham. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Riding of Yorkshire, Tunbridge Wells and Rotherham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Murr is 263 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 105.2%.

1881 census count

115

Ranked #18,230

Modern count

236

2016, ranked #17,470

Peak year

1998

263 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Murr had 115 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,230 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 236 in 2016, ranked #17,470.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 184 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Murr surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Murr surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Murr 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 100 #17,164
1861 historical 126 #17,569
1881 historical 115 #18,230
1891 historical 164 #17,205
1901 historical 184 #15,942
1911 historical 153 #17,633
1997 modern 250 #15,281
1998 modern 263 #15,161
1999 modern 248 #15,884
2000 modern 246 #15,914
2001 modern 253 #15,403
2002 modern 257 #15,523
2003 modern 244 #15,861
2004 modern 236 #16,335
2005 modern 232 #16,480
2006 modern 226 #16,891
2007 modern 231 #16,835
2008 modern 230 #17,033
2009 modern 234 #17,194
2010 modern 248 #16,886
2011 modern 242 #17,001
2012 modern 228 #17,584
2013 modern 239 #17,307
2014 modern 233 #17,707
2015 modern 228 #17,899
2016 modern 236 #17,470

Geography

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Where Murrs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Gateshead, Lambeth, Tottenham, St Matthew Bethnal Green and Grantham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Riding of Yorkshire, Tunbridge Wells, Rotherham, Medway and North Lincolnshire. 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 Gateshead Durham
2 Lambeth London (South Districts)
3 Tottenham Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
4 St Matthew Bethnal Green London (East Districts)
5 Grantham Lincolnshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Riding of Yorkshire 011 East Riding of Yorkshire
2 Tunbridge Wells 001 Tunbridge Wells
3 Rotherham 011 Rotherham
4 Medway 023 Medway
5 North Lincolnshire 003 North Lincolnshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Murr

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Murr

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Murr surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Murr household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Young Asian Family Terraces

Within London, Murr is most associated with areas classed as Young Asian Family Terraces, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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 households with dependent children typically live in terraced housing and are of (non-Chinese) Asian extraction. Individuals with Bangladeshi origins are particularly in evidence. Employment is often in elementary occupations or as process, plant or machine operatives, and part-time work is common. Students are much in evidence.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Murr is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Murr falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Murr is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Murr

The surname Murr is believed to have originated in Germany during the medieval period, specifically in the region of Bavaria. It is thought to be derived from the Middle High German word "murren," which means "to grumble" or "to murmur." This suggests that the name may have originally been a nickname given to someone who was known for their tendency to grumble or complain.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Murr can be found in the Codex Traditionum Monasterii Sancti Emmerami, a medieval manuscript from the 11th century that documents the property holdings and transactions of the Benedictine monastery of St. Emmeram in Regensburg, Bavaria. In this document, a certain "Mur" is mentioned as a witness to a land transfer in the year 1055.

Another early reference to the name Murr comes from the Weingartner Liederhandschrift, a 13th-century manuscript that contains a collection of Middle High German courtly love songs and poems. One of the poems is attributed to a certain "Herr Murre," which could be an early spelling variation of the name Murr.

In the 14th century, there are records of a family with the surname Murr residing in the town of Nürnberg (Nuremberg), which was a major center of trade and commerce in medieval Germany. One notable member of this family was Hans Murr, a merchant and city councilor who lived from around 1380 to 1445.

During the Renaissance period, a prominent figure with the surname Murr was Johann Baptist Murr (1717-1788), a German historian and librarian who served as the director of the Bavarian Court and State Library in Munich. He was renowned for his extensive writings on various topics, including the history of Bavaria and the genealogy of noble families.

In the 19th century, a well-known bearer of the name Murr was the German writer and satirist Christoph Friedrich Murr (1803-1856), who published several works of literary criticism and social commentary under the pen name "Murr the Cat."

Another notable person with the surname Murr was the German artist and printmaker Eduard Murr (1836-1892), who was known for his etchings and lithographs depicting scenes of daily life in Munich and other Bavarian cities.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Murr families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Murr 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. Middlesex leads with 31 Murrs recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.74x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 31 2.74x
Yorkshire 26 2.32x
Lincolnshire 22 12.16x
Kent 8 2.07x
Hampshire 7 3.02x
Surrey 6 1.09x
Lancashire 4 0.30x
Northamptonshire 3 2.82x
Gloucestershire 2 0.90x
Royal Navy 2 14.84x
Buckinghamshire 1 1.46x
Cambridgeshire 1 1.40x
Midlothian 1 0.66x
Northumberland 1 0.59x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.66x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Tottenham in Middlesex leads with 10 Murrs recorded in 1881 and an index of 55.49x.

Place Total Index
Tottenham 10 55.49x
Leeds 9 14.22x
Manthorpe Cum Little 9 652.17x
Bethnal Green London 8 16.28x
Limehouse London 8 64.41x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 7 66.99x
Plumstead 7 54.39x
Nether Hallam 6 39.55x
Spittlegate 5 200.00x
Brading 4 129.87x
Southwark St George Martyr 4 17.57x
Grantham 3 127.12x
Peterborough 3 38.96x
Portsea 3 6.60x
Seaton Ross 3 1666.67x
Barrowby 2 645.16x
Bitton 2 103.63x
Chorley 2 26.56x
Flixton 2 289.86x
Hammersmith London 2 7.18x
Lissington 2 2000.00x
Royal Navy 2 17.35x
Caterham 1 40.98x
Clarborough 1 87.72x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 1.64x
Edmonton 1 10.96x
Ely Holy Trinity St Mary 1 31.95x
Lambeth 1 1.01x
Linthorpe 1 14.95x
Longbenton 1 14.03x
Lynsted 1 200.00x
Morton In Gainsborough 1 277.78x
Newport Pagnell 1 69.93x
St Marylebone London 1 1.66x
Westminster St 1 23.98x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 9
John 6
George 5
Charles 4
Edward 3
Henry 3
Thomas 3
Daniel 2
James 2
Robert 2
Wm. 2
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
David 1
Enoch 1
Fred 1
Giles 1
Harry 1
Hubert 1
Samuel 1
Stephan 1
T.S. 1
Thos. 1
Walter 1
Willie 1

FAQ

Murr surname: questions and answers

How common was the Murr surname in 1881?

In 1881, 115 people were recorded with the Murr surname. That placed it at #18,230 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Murr surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 236 in 2016. That gives Murr a modern rank of #17,470.

What does the Murr surname mean?

A German and English occupational surname referring to someone who built or worked with stone walls.

What does the Murr map show?

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