NameCensus.

UK surname

Murtagh

From the Gaelic words muir meaning sea and tagh meaning tax or tribute.

In the 1881 census there were 169 people recorded with the Murtagh surname, ranking it #14,324 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,849, ranked #3,433, up from #14,324 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Manchester and Cannock. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North East Derbyshire, Malvern Hills and Isle of Anglesey.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Murtagh is 1,942 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 994.1%.

1881 census count

169

Ranked #14,324

Modern count

1,849

2016, ranked #3,433

Peak year

2010

1,942 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Murtagh had 169 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,324 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,849 in 2016, ranked #3,433.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 356 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Murtagh surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Murtagh surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Murtagh 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 28 #28,274
1861 historical 69 #25,057
1881 historical 169 #14,324
1891 historical 280 #11,665
1901 historical 355 #10,329
1911 historical 356 #10,148
1997 modern 1,803 #3,327
1998 modern 1,889 #3,312
1999 modern 1,899 #3,319
2000 modern 1,895 #3,309
2001 modern 1,826 #3,353
2002 modern 1,878 #3,335
2003 modern 1,818 #3,368
2004 modern 1,819 #3,364
2005 modern 1,806 #3,363
2006 modern 1,807 #3,363
2007 modern 1,831 #3,348
2008 modern 1,860 #3,327
2009 modern 1,872 #3,394
2010 modern 1,942 #3,354
2011 modern 1,919 #3,349
2012 modern 1,841 #3,421
2013 modern 1,872 #3,415
2014 modern 1,887 #3,414
2015 modern 1,877 #3,397
2016 modern 1,849 #3,433

Geography

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Where Murtaghs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Manchester, Cannock, Glasgow and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North East Derbyshire, Malvern Hills, Isle of Anglesey, Merthyr Tydfil and Newcastle upon Tyne. 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 London parishes London 1
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Cannock Staffordshire
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North East Derbyshire 012 North East Derbyshire
2 Malvern Hills 010 Malvern Hills
3 Isle of Anglesey 003 Isle of Anglesey
4 Merthyr Tydfil 007 Merthyr Tydfil
5 Newcastle upon Tyne 002 Newcastle upon Tyne

Forenames

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First names often paired with Murtagh

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Murtagh

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Murtagh surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Murtagh household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Murtagh is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Murtagh 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

Murtagh 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 Murtagh 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Murtagh

The surname Murtagh has its origins in Ireland, where it first emerged in the 12th century. It is an anglicized form of the Irish Gaelic name O'Muircheartaigh, which means "descendant of Muircheartach". Muircheartach was a personal name derived from the Gaelic elements "muir" meaning sea and "ceart" meaning right or correct.

The Murtagh surname is closely associated with County Mayo in the west of Ireland. The Murtagh clan were one of the most prominent and powerful families in the region during the Middle Ages. They held extensive lands and were considered rulers of the Barony of Carra.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Annals of Loch Cé, a medieval Irish chronicle, which mentions a Muircheartach O'Muircheartaigh in the year 1237. The name is also found in the Annals of the Four Masters, another important medieval Irish text.

In the 16th century, the English administration in Ireland began to anglicize many Irish surnames, leading to the emergence of the spelling Murtagh. One of the earliest recorded examples of this spelling is Sir John Murtagh, who was appointed Lord Chief Justice of Ireland in 1568.

Another notable figure in Irish history with the surname Murtagh was Theobald Murtagh (1623-1700), a Catholic lawyer and landowner from County Mayo who played a prominent role in the Irish Confederate Wars of the 1640s.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, many Murtagh families were forced to leave Ireland due to economic hardship and political unrest. As a result, the name can now be found in various parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Australia.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Murtagh was the Australian author and poet John K. Murtagh (1925-2008), who wrote several acclaimed works exploring Irish-Australian identity and culture.

Other notable Murtaghs throughout history include Patrick Murtagh (1807-1865), an Irish-American politician who served as the 40th Mayor of New York City, and William Murtagh (1854-1929), an Irish-born American architect who designed several landmark buildings in New York City.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Murtagh families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Murtagh 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 67 Murtaghs recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.43x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 67 3.43x
Yorkshire 26 1.59x
Durham 22 4.49x
Lanarkshire 16 3.00x
Warwickshire 10 2.41x
Staffordshire 7 1.26x
Cheshire 4 1.10x
Dunbartonshire 3 6.77x
Hampshire 3 0.89x
Middlesex 3 0.18x
Herefordshire 2 2.96x
Kent 2 0.36x
Suffolk 2 1.00x
Royal Navy 1 5.09x
Worcestershire 1 0.46x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Gorton in Lancashire leads with 11 Murtaghs recorded in 1881 and an index of 59.82x.

Place Total Index
Gorton 11 59.82x
Burnley 9 54.64x
Horton In Bradford 9 35.28x
Birmingham 8 5.77x
Govan 8 6.07x
Coxhoe 7 503.60x
Over Darwen 7 44.81x
Bradford 6 15.17x
Cannock 6 61.79x
Hulme 6 14.69x
Prescot 6 169.49x
Tanfield 6 102.92x
Barony 5 3.71x
Eccleshill 4 930.23x
Escomb 4 177.78x
Great Bolton 4 15.44x
Irby 4 5000.00x
Leeds 4 4.34x
Rainford 4 188.68x
Salford 4 6.95x
Batley 3 19.32x
Bonhill 3 42.19x
Dawdon 3 49.75x
Glasgow 3 3.17x
Widnes 3 21.26x
Blackburn 2 3.84x
Ipswich St Mathew 2 35.52x
Ledbury 2 86.21x
Ripon 2 52.77x
Shadwell London 2 43.38x
Southampton All Sts 2 34.48x
Alverstoke 1 8.18x
Bilston 1 9.28x
Bootle Cum Linacre 1 6.44x
Charlton Next Woolwich 1 17.04x
Crook Billy Row 1 15.92x
Deptford St Paul 1 2.31x
Haslingden 1 12.35x
Islington London 1 0.63x
Kidderminster Foreign 1 32.89x
Lighthorne 1 500.00x
Liverpool 1 0.84x
Long Lawford 1 256.41x
Nether Hallam 1 4.52x
Normanby In 1 22.88x
Oldham 1 1.58x
Rainhill 1 80.00x
Royal Navy 1 5.96x
Stockton On Tees 1 4.23x
Sutton 1 15.24x
Whittington 1 500.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 17
Catherine 8
Ann 4
Elizabeth 4
Julia 4
Ellen 3
Margaret 3
Maria 3
Sarah 3
Bridget 2
Jane 2
Nancy 2
Agnes 1
Anne 1
Annie 1
Celina 1
Clare 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Hannor 1
Margeret 1
Martha 1
Mina 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 17
John 13
Thomas 11
Patrick 7
William 5
Denis 2
Henry 2
Hugh 2
Joseph 2
Michael 2
Peter 2
Richard 2
Amos 1
Arthur 1
Charles 1
Christopher 1
Daniel 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Jno. 1
Lawrence 1
Luke 1
Nicholas 1
Samuel 1
Simon 1
Stephen 1
Thos.Edward 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Murtagh surname: questions and answers

How common was the Murtagh surname in 1881?

In 1881, 169 people were recorded with the Murtagh surname. That placed it at #14,324 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Murtagh surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,849 in 2016. That gives Murtagh a modern rank of #3,433.

What does the Murtagh surname mean?

From the Gaelic words muir meaning sea and tagh meaning tax or tribute.

What does the Murtagh map show?

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