NameCensus.

UK surname

Murry

Derived from Scottish and Irish Gaelic, meaning "seaman" or "sea-bright," likely referring to someone who lived near the sea.

In the 1881 census there were 1,600 people recorded with the Murry surname, ranking it #2,665 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 235, ranked #17,530, down from #2,665 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Stockport and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Eden, Bournemouth and Gedling.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Murry is 1,741 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 85.3%.

1881 census count

1,600

Ranked #2,665

Modern count

235

2016, ranked #17,530

Peak year

1851

1,741 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Murry had 1,600 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,665 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 235 in 2016, ranked #17,530.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,741 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Murry surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Murry surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Murry 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 1,741 #1,657
1861 historical 1,519 #1,859
1881 historical 1,600 #2,665
1891 historical 1,358 #3,198
1901 historical 1,019 #4,683
1911 historical 476 #8,124
1997 modern 173 #19,295
1998 modern 168 #20,181
1999 modern 168 #20,312
2000 modern 166 #20,426
2001 modern 159 #20,710
2002 modern 153 #21,609
2003 modern 147 #21,977
2004 modern 154 #21,432
2005 modern 152 #21,572
2006 modern 152 #21,721
2007 modern 144 #22,804
2008 modern 154 #22,034
2009 modern 169 #21,190
2010 modern 199 #19,515
2011 modern 174 #21,096
2012 modern 211 #18,539
2013 modern 216 #18,543
2014 modern 225 #18,142
2015 modern 219 #18,406
2016 modern 235 #17,530

Geography

Back to top

Where Murrys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Stockport, Edinburgh, Manchester and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Eden, Bournemouth, Gedling, Oldham and Trafford. 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 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 Stockport Cheshire
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Eden 007 Eden
2 Bournemouth 012 Bournemouth
3 Gedling 012 Gedling
4 Oldham 028 Oldham
5 Trafford 007 Trafford

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Murry

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Murry

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

Murry is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Murry

The surname Murry has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "mor," meaning a moor or a marsh, and the addition of the suffix "-y" denoting a person or place associated with a particular feature.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Murry can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented individuals who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England during the Wars of Scottish Independence. This suggests that the name was already well-established in Scotland by the late 13th century.

The Murry name has also been linked to various place names in Scotland, such as Murraythwaite in Dumfriesshire and Murray's Cauld in Stirlingshire. These place names likely originated from individuals bearing the surname who settled or owned land in those areas.

In the 14th century, a prominent bearer of the name was Sir William Murry, who served as the Lord of Bothwell and played a significant role in the Scottish Wars of Independence against the English. He was a staunch supporter of Robert the Bruce and was present at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314.

Another notable figure with the Murry surname was Sir James Murry of Philiphaugh, who lived in the 16th century and was a prominent Scottish soldier and landowner. He was involved in the Scottish Reformation and fought alongside the Protestant forces against the Catholic Mary, Queen of Scots.

In the literary world, the name Murry is associated with John Middleton Murry (1889-1957), an English literary critic and writer who was married to the novelist Katherine Mansfield. He was known for his critical essays on various literary figures, including D.H. Lawrence and T.S. Eliot.

Another notable bearer of the Murry surname was William James Murry (1867-1949), an American educator and philosopher who served as the President of Stanford University from 1899 to 1916. He was also the co-founder of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, a prestigious academic honor society.

In the realm of sports, the Murry name is connected to Andy Murry (born 1987), a British professional tennis player and former world No. 1. He has won numerous Grand Slam titles, including three at Wimbledon, and has been a prominent figure in the sport for over a decade.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Murry families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Murry 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. Lancashire leads with 404 Murrys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.20x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 404 2.20x
Middlesex 179 1.16x
Yorkshire 132 0.86x
Durham 94 2.05x
Staffordshire 88 1.69x
Lanarkshire 58 1.16x
Surrey 48 0.64x
Glamorgan 47 1.75x
Warwickshire 46 1.18x
Essex 42 1.38x
Northumberland 37 1.61x
Cheshire 36 1.06x
Ayrshire 31 2.68x
Angus 28 1.96x
Kent 28 0.53x
Gloucestershire 22 0.73x
Hampshire 20 0.63x
Perthshire 17 2.45x
Shropshire 17 1.27x
Aberdeenshire 15 1.05x
Sussex 12 0.46x
Midlothian 11 0.53x
Suffolk 11 0.58x
West Lothian 10 4.30x
Wigtownshire 10 4.88x
Cumberland 9 0.68x
Derbyshire 9 0.37x
Renfrewshire 9 0.75x
Berkshire 8 0.69x
Monmouthshire 7 0.63x
Oxfordshire 7 0.73x
Devon 6 0.19x
Buckinghamshire 5 0.54x
Leicestershire 5 0.29x
Northamptonshire 5 0.34x
Nottinghamshire 5 0.24x
Pembrokeshire 5 1.02x
Roxburghshire 5 1.79x
Stirlingshire 5 0.88x
Carmarthenshire 4 0.61x
Cornwall 4 0.23x
Norfolk 4 0.17x
Westmorland 4 1.18x
Dunbartonshire 3 0.72x
Fife 3 0.33x
Herefordshire 3 0.47x
Kincardineshire 3 1.60x
Royal Navy 3 1.63x
Cambridgeshire 2 0.20x
Dorset 2 0.20x
Flintshire 2 0.48x
Hertfordshire 2 0.19x
Somerset 2 0.08x
Worcestershire 2 0.10x
Anglesey 1 0.37x
Bedfordshire 1 0.13x
Berwickshire 1 0.53x
Clackmannanshire 1 0.78x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.33x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 0.45x
Orkney 1 0.59x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 51 Murrys recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.58x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 51 4.58x
Islington London 31 2.07x
Manchester 27 3.28x
Riccarton 23 131.96x
Hunstonworth 19 716.98x
St Marylebone London 19 2.30x
Chorley 17 16.53x
Coventry St Michael 17 13.59x
Barony 16 1.27x
Birmingham 16 1.23x
Great Bolton 16 6.59x
Lambeth 16 1.19x
Leeds 16 1.85x
Stockton On Tees 16 7.23x
Walsall Foreign 16 5.94x
West Derby 16 2.98x
Blackburn 15 3.08x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 15 7.54x
Stoke Upon Trent 15 2.71x
Clayton Le Moors 14 39.38x
Monifieth 14 27.71x
Ossett Cum Gawthorpe 14 25.61x
Prescot 14 42.25x
Whitechapel London 14 9.20x
Gateshead 13 3.78x
Oldham 13 2.20x
Bermondsey 12 2.61x
Chelsea London 12 2.58x
Deptford St Paul 12 2.95x
Sedgley 12 6.20x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 11 3.86x
Horndon On Hill 11 351.44x
Merthyr Tydfil 11 4.26x
Stockport 11 6.27x
Toxteth Park 11 1.77x
Warrington 11 5.06x
Everton 10 1.71x
Holy Trinity 10 2.72x
Penmark 10 393.70x
St Pancras London 10 0.80x
Bootle Cum Linacre 9 6.19x
Denton 9 22.16x
Gomersal 9 12.60x
Govan 9 0.73x
Hulme 9 2.35x
Longbenton 9 9.25x
Stoneykirk 9 61.39x
Sutton 9 14.65x
Wednesfield 9 11.73x
Westoe 9 3.46x
Barrow In Furness 8 3.21x
Boness 8 24.95x
Bray 8 23.49x
Cardiff St Mary 8 5.40x
Ipswich St Mathew 8 15.18x
Kirkdale 8 2.60x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 8 5.83x
Old Monkland 8 4.04x
Preston 8 1.63x
Westminster St John 8 4.25x
Aston 7 0.65x
Berwick Upon Tweed 7 14.38x
Blithfield 7 443.04x
Clerkenwell London 7 1.92x
Cowpe Lench Newhall Hey 7 35.75x
Dalserf 7 14.05x
Dewsbury 7 4.46x
Distington 7 102.49x
Enville 7 171.15x
Glasgow 7 0.79x
Greenwich 7 2.85x
Hammersmith London 7 1.84x
Kensington London 7 0.82x
Lesmahagow 7 13.25x
Monks Coppenhall 7 5.44x
Oxford St Thomas 7 15.73x
Pendlebury 7 18.09x
Shoreditch London 7 1.05x
Wakefield 7 5.96x
West Ham 7 1.04x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 148
Elizabeth 46
Ann 43
Margaret 35
Catherine 33
Ellen 32
Bridget 29
Annie 25
Sarah 22
Hannah 15
Jane 15
Eliza 13
Alice 12
Emma 12
Emily 11
Kate 11
Agnes 7
Anne 7
Edith 6
Florence 5
Harriet 5
Maria 5
Matilda 5
Minnie 5
Susan 5
Ada 4
Charlotte 4
Clara 4
Esther 4
Isabella 4
Jessie 4
Lucy 4
Margret 4
Rose 4
Winifred 4
Caroline 3
Elizth. 3
Harriett 3
Louisa 3
Maud 3
Bertha 2
Cecilia 2
Eleanor 2
Frances 2
Grace 2
Janet 2
Johanna 2
Julia 2
Margt. 2
May 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 112
James 69
William 60
Thomas 59
Patrick 40
George 23
Michael 22
Edward 20
Charles 17
Henry 16
Joseph 12
Robert 12
David 11
Arthur 8
Adam 7
Daniel 7
Richard 7
Samuel 7
Peter 6
Stephen 6
Alexander 5
Andrew 5
Francis 5
Harry 5
Albert 4
Martin 4
Timothy 4
Walter 4
Alfred 3
Matthew 3
Nicholas 3
Thos. 3
Anthony 2
Archibald 2
Bernard 2
Burnet 2
Danial 2
Dennis 2
Evan 2
Frank 2
Frederick 2
Geo. 2
Herbert 2
Hugh 2
Kenneth 2
Moses 2
Rich. 2
Sydney 2
Edgar 1
Edley 1

FAQ

Murry surname: questions and answers

How common was the Murry surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,600 people were recorded with the Murry surname. That placed it at #2,665 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Murry surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 235 in 2016. That gives Murry a modern rank of #17,530.

What does the Murry surname mean?

Derived from Scottish and Irish Gaelic, meaning "seaman" or "sea-bright," likely referring to someone who lived near the sea.

What does the Murry map show?

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