NameCensus.

UK surname

Murray

A topographic surname of Scottish and Irish origin, referring to someone who lived near a moor or fen.

In the 1881 census there were 37,222 people recorded with the Murray surname, ranking it #82 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 65,751, ranked #72, up from #82 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, London parishes and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Broadbay, Northwest Lewis and Buckie West and Mains of Buckie.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Murray is 66,422 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 76.6%.

1881 census count

37,222

Ranked #82

Modern count

65,751

2016, ranked #72

Peak year

2010

66,422 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Murray had 37,222 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #82 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 65,751 in 2016, ranked #72.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 45,497 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Murray surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Murray surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Murray 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 23,664 #87
1861 historical 24,994 #81
1881 historical 37,222 #82
1891 historical 39,640 #82
1901 historical 45,497 #85
1911 historical 22,960 #186
1997 modern 61,085 #68
1998 modern 63,030 #70
1999 modern 63,778 #69
2000 modern 63,785 #68
2001 modern 61,780 #68
2002 modern 63,313 #68
2003 modern 62,091 #68
2004 modern 62,048 #68
2005 modern 61,758 #67
2006 modern 62,029 #68
2007 modern 62,678 #68
2008 modern 63,389 #68
2009 modern 65,080 #68
2010 modern 66,422 #70
2011 modern 65,100 #71
2012 modern 64,190 #70
2013 modern 65,479 #71
2014 modern 66,221 #73
2015 modern 65,837 #72
2016 modern 65,751 #72

Geography

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Where Murrays are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Broadbay, Northwest Lewis, Buckie West and Mains of Buckie, Sutherland South and Buckie Central East. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Govan Combination Lanark
2 London parishes London 3
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Broadbay Na h-Eileanan Siar
2 Northwest Lewis Na h-Eileanan Siar
3 Buckie West and Mains of Buckie Moray
4 Sutherland South Highland
5 Buckie Central East Moray

Forenames

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First names often paired with Murray

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Murray

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

Read profile summary

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

Murray 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

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

Meaning and origin of Murray

The surname Murray is of Scottish origin, deriving from a territorial designation for someone who lived in or came from the region of Moray in northeastern Scotland. The name is believed to have originated from the Gaelic words "muir" meaning sea and "reidh" meaning flat or level, referring to the flat coastal lands near the Moray Firth.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Murray date back to the 12th century, with mentions in various Scottish charters and records. One notable reference is in the "Registrum Moraviense," a cartulary of the Bishopric of Moray, where the name appears as "Muref" and "Murrefe" in the early 13th century.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landholders in England after the Norman Conquest, the name appears as "Murifeld" and "Murigge," which are believed to be variations of the same name. This suggests that the Murray name may have been present in parts of England as well during that time.

The Murray name has a long and distinguished history in Scotland, with several notable individuals bearing the name throughout the centuries. One of the earliest was Sir Andrew Murray, a Scottish knight who played a significant role in the Wars of Scottish Independence in the late 13th and early 14th centuries, fighting alongside William Wallace and Robert the Bruce.

Another prominent figure was Sir James Murray of Philiphaugh, a Scottish military commander who fought for the Covenanters during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms in the 17th century. He is best known for his victory over the Royalists at the Battle of Philiphaugh in 1645.

In the realm of literature, Sir David Murray of Gorthy (c. 1567-1629) was a Scottish poet and courtier who served as a diplomat and Lord of the Bedchamber to King James VI of Scotland and I of England.

In more recent times, John Murray III (1808-1892) was a renowned Scottish publisher who founded the publishing house John Murray, which published works by authors such as Jane Austen, Lord Byron, and Charles Darwin.

Lastly, one of the most famous Murrays of modern times is the Scottish actor Sir Sean Connery (1930-2020), best known for his portrayal of James Bond in the iconic film series.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Murray families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Murray 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 4,874 Murrays recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.16x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 4,874 4.16x
Lancashire 3,892 0.91x
Midlothian 2,262 4.66x
Aberdeenshire 1,947 5.80x
Middlesex 1,902 0.53x
Durham 1,493 1.39x
Yorkshire 1,292 0.36x
Ayrshire 1,252 4.62x
Northumberland 1,110 2.06x
Angus 1,029 3.07x
Ross-shire 1,007 10.12x
Renfrewshire 960 3.42x
Cumberland 919 2.95x
Surrey 824 0.47x
Sutherland 800 28.72x
Banffshire 718 9.56x
Perthshire 699 4.30x
Dumfriesshire 695 8.69x
Roxburghshire 653 9.95x
Cheshire 538 0.67x
Fife 525 2.45x
Dunbartonshire 416 4.27x
Kincardineshire 400 9.07x
Wigtownshire 390 8.11x
Stirlingshire 383 2.87x
Kent 382 0.31x
Caithness 351 7.08x
Kirkcudbrightshire 351 6.69x
Staffordshire 327 0.27x
Morayshire 326 5.79x
Hampshire 307 0.41x
Selkirkshire 306 9.34x
Warwickshire 252 0.28x
Inverness-shire 241 2.23x
Argyllshire 230 2.28x
Essex 230 0.32x
East Lothian 192 4.00x
Glamorgan 184 0.29x
West Lothian 172 3.15x
Devon 154 0.20x
Clackmannanshire 141 4.71x
Berwickshire 140 3.19x
Peeblesshire 137 8.04x
Shetland 119 3.22x
Sussex 109 0.18x
Norfolk 97 0.17x
Worcestershire 85 0.18x
Gloucestershire 80 0.11x
Buteshire 77 3.51x
Somerset 75 0.13x
Nairnshire 71 6.42x
Monmouthshire 66 0.25x
Shropshire 59 0.19x
Berkshire 58 0.21x
Lincolnshire 58 0.10x
Derbyshire 55 0.10x
Isle of Man 55 0.82x
Royal Navy 54 1.25x
Westmorland 52 0.65x
Dorset 51 0.21x
Leicestershire 49 0.12x
Nottinghamshire 43 0.09x
Hertfordshire 37 0.15x
Suffolk 35 0.08x
Oxfordshire 33 0.15x
Cornwall 32 0.08x
Northamptonshire 31 0.09x
Channel Islands 29 0.27x
Orkney 28 0.70x
Pembrokeshire 25 0.22x
Herefordshire 22 0.15x
Flintshire 20 0.21x
Buckinghamshire 18 0.08x
Caernarfonshire 17 0.12x
Carmarthenshire 14 0.09x
Brecknockshire 13 0.18x
Kinross-shire 13 1.42x
Wiltshire 13 0.04x
Denbighshire 11 0.08x
Montgomeryshire 7 0.08x
Cambridgeshire 6 0.03x
Bedfordshire 5 0.03x
Huntingdonshire 4 0.06x
Anglesey 2 0.03x
Merionethshire 2 0.03x
Rutland 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. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 1,270 Murrays recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.28x.

Place Total Index
Barony 1,270 4.28x
Govan 1,145 3.95x
Glasgow 1,018 4.89x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 940 4.81x
Liverpool 649 2.49x
Stornoway 465 35.86x
Aberdeen Old Machar 449 6.41x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 368 5.86x
Dundee 361 2.88x
Rathven 338 23.95x
Barvas 317 47.72x
South Leith 258 4.72x
Everton 246 1.80x
Manchester 215 1.11x
Hawick 208 14.16x
Old Monkland 198 4.26x
Liff Benvie 191 3.75x
Kilmarnock 188 5.83x
Bothwell 174 5.48x
Leeds 162 0.80x
West Greenock 158 3.14x
Gateshead 157 1.95x
Bishopwearmouth 154 1.66x
Toxteth Park 153 1.05x
Dornoch 147 46.84x
Birmingham 145 0.48x
Lambeth 144 0.46x
Islington London 140 0.40x
St Pancras London 139 0.48x
Birkenhead 138 2.16x
Peterhead 138 7.78x
Westoe 136 2.23x
Kirkdale 133 1.84x
New Monkland 129 3.73x
Rogart 127 82.60x
Montrose 123 6.05x
Galashiels 122 10.07x
Maryhill 122 5.32x
Creich 120 43.24x
West Derby 115 0.91x
Inverness 114 4.19x
Paisley High Church 114 5.10x
Clyne 112 49.88x
West Ham 112 0.71x
Abbey 110 2.57x
North Leith 110 4.90x
Wick 110 6.87x
Blackburn 109 0.95x
St Marylebone London 109 0.56x
Hamilton 107 3.27x
East Greenock 102 3.85x
Fetteresso 102 14.75x
Dalmellington 95 11.92x
Hulme 94 1.05x
Oldham 93 0.67x
Widnes 92 2.97x
Tyrie 91 21.61x
Whitehaven 90 5.41x
Battersea 89 0.67x
Canonbie 88 25.88x
Selkirk 88 9.53x
Kildonan 87 36.07x
Elswick 86 2.00x
Camberwell 85 0.37x
Falkirk 85 2.72x
Rutherglen 85 4.95x
Melrose 84 10.18x
Barrow In Furness 83 1.42x
Cleator 83 6.39x
Cardross 82 7.02x
Chorlton On Medlock 81 1.19x
Kensington London 81 0.40x
Langholm 81 14.08x
Salford 81 0.64x
Dalry 80 6.27x
Wilton 80 11.11x
Ayr 79 6.17x
Cathcart 79 5.20x
Kilrenny 79 19.92x
Newington 79 0.59x
Bonhill 78 4.99x
Hackney London 77 0.38x
Preston 77 0.67x
Bromley London 76 0.95x
Port Glasgow 76 5.60x
Portsea 76 0.52x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 1,357
Elizabeth 506
Margaret 466
Jane 373
Sarah 373
Ann 308
Ellen 269
Catherine 262
Annie 204
Alice 149
Eliza 144
Bridget 129
Isabella 119
Hannah 118
Emma 104
Agnes 99
Emily 90
Kate 90
Maria 81
Martha 71
Florence 63
Harriet 62
Frances 61
Louisa 61
Caroline 58
Anne 51
Jessie 51
Rose 50
Ada 47
Charlotte 47
Julia 47
Esther 45
Fanny 45
Edith 40
Janet 37
Susan 36
Helen 32
Rebecca 32
Lucy 31
Margt. 28
Grace 26
Elizth. 25
Clara 24
Eleanor 24
Ethel 22
Harriett 21
Catharine 20
Christina 20
Maggie 20
Susannah 20

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 1,257
James 818
William 760
Thomas 603
George 326
Robert 249
Patrick 234
Joseph 210
Charles 206
Michael 192
Edward 165
Henry 164
Peter 112
David 97
Richard 92
Alexander 87
Arthur 87
Andrew 78
Walter 71
Francis 69
Daniel 66
Alfred 62
Hugh 57
Frederick 49
Thos. 45
Wm. 39
Samuel 37
Albert 36
Frank 35
Martin 32
Matthew 26
Archibald 25
Harry 23
Ernest 22
Bernard 21
Edwin 20
Geo. 20
Jas. 19
Owen 19
Anthony 18
Donald 18
Herbert 18
Robt. 18
Stephen 18
Timothy 17
Benjamin 16
Isaac 16
Jeremiah 16
Jno. 15
Dennis 14

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 Murray households.

FAQ

Murray surname: questions and answers

How common was the Murray surname in 1881?

In 1881, 37,222 people were recorded with the Murray surname. That placed it at #82 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Murray surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 65,751 in 2016. That gives Murray a modern rank of #72.

What does the Murray surname mean?

A topographic surname of Scottish and Irish origin, referring to someone who lived near a moor or fen.

What does the Murray map show?

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