NameCensus.

UK surname

Murty

A surname of Indian origin, possibly derived from the Sanskrit word "Murti" meaning image or idol.

In the 1881 census there were 117 people recorded with the Murty surname, ranking it #18,026 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 147, ranked #24,071, down from #18,026 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, New Monkland and Arbroath and St. Vigeans. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Calderdale, Halton and South Bucks.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Murty is 170 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 25.6%.

1881 census count

117

Ranked #18,026

Modern count

147

2016, ranked #24,071

Peak year

2002

170 bearers

Map years

5

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Murty had 117 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,026 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 147 in 2016, ranked #24,071.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 117 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Murty surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Murty surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Murty 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 50 #27,636
1881 historical 117 #18,026
1891 historical 95 #24,694
1901 historical 109 #21,712
1911 historical 41 #28,802
1997 modern 152 #20,948
1998 modern 155 #21,227
1999 modern 158 #21,102
2000 modern 164 #20,584
2001 modern 160 #20,616
2002 modern 170 #20,243
2003 modern 165 #20,401
2004 modern 167 #20,367
2005 modern 168 #20,227
2006 modern 160 #21,066
2007 modern 162 #21,115
2008 modern 164 #21,137
2009 modern 166 #21,469
2010 modern 165 #22,026
2011 modern 160 #22,282
2012 modern 145 #23,780
2013 modern 152 #23,438
2014 modern 156 #23,231
2015 modern 154 #23,306
2016 modern 147 #24,071

Geography

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Where Murtys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, New Monkland, Arbroath and St. Vigeans, 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 Calderdale, Halton, South Bucks, Paisley North West and Warrington. 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 New Monkland Lanark
3 Arbroath and St. Vigeans Forfar
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Calderdale 007 Calderdale
2 Halton 012 Halton
3 South Bucks 006 South Bucks
4 Paisley North West Renfrewshire
5 Warrington 015 Warrington

Forenames

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First names often paired with Murty

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Murty

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Murty, 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 Murty surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Murty 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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Murty is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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 neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Murty is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Murty

The surname Murty is of Indian origin, specifically from the southern states of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "mūrti," which means "form" or "embodiment." The name was likely originally used as a title or honorific for respected individuals or deities in Hindu culture.

Historically, the name Murty has been associated with Brahmin communities in southern India. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in ancient Hindu texts and inscriptions dating back to the 6th century CE.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Murty was Adi Shankara Murty, a renowned Hindu philosopher and theologian who lived in the 8th century CE. He is credited with reviving and consolidating the Advaita Vedanta school of Hindu philosophy.

In the 12th century, Madhava Murty was a celebrated mathematician and astronomer from the Chola dynasty in Tamil Nadu. He authored several important treatises on mathematics, astronomy, and philosophy.

During the Vijayanagara Empire in the 16th century, Appayya Dikshita Murty was a prominent Sanskrit scholar and poet. He composed numerous works on Vedic literature, grammar, and philosophy.

In more recent times, the name Murty has been associated with notable figures in various fields. One of the most well-known individuals is N.R. Narayana Murthy, born in 1946, who co-founded the Indian multinational corporation Infosys and is considered a pioneer of the Indian IT industry.

Another notable individual with the surname Murty is Sudha Murthy, born in 1950, an Indian writer, and philanthropist. She is the chairperson of the Infosys Foundation and has written several popular books in Kannada and English.

While the name Murty has its roots in southern India, it has gained recognition and prominence across the subcontinent and beyond, thanks to the achievements and contributions of individuals bearing this surname in various fields, including philosophy, literature, science, and technology.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Murty families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Murty 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 44 Murtys recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.82x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 44 11.82x
Lancashire 18 1.32x
Angus 17 15.94x
Staffordshire 10 2.57x
Yorkshire 7 0.61x
Essex 4 1.76x
Middlesex 4 0.35x
Surrey 4 0.71x
Buteshire 3 43.04x
Durham 2 0.58x
Leicestershire 2 1.57x
Glamorgan 1 0.50x
Kent 1 0.25x
Royal Navy 1 7.29x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Glasgow in Lanarkshire leads with 22 Murtys recorded in 1881 and an index of 33.28x.

Place Total Index
Glasgow 22 33.28x
Widnes 15 152.28x
St Vigeans 10 173.61x
Sedgley 9 62.37x
Barony 8 8.49x
Bothwell 8 79.21x
Brightside Bierlow 7 31.29x
Dundee 7 17.58x
New Monkland 6 54.55x
West Ham 4 7.97x
Clerkenwell London 3 11.04x
Lambeth 3 2.99x
Rothesay 3 88.76x
Evington 2 1111.11x
Gateshead 2 7.80x
Chorley 1 13.05x
Roath 1 10.99x
Royal Navy 1 8.53x
Southwark St Saviour 1 16.89x
St Clement Danes 1 53.76x
Stoke Upon Trent 1 2.43x
Sutton 1 21.83x
West Derby 1 2.50x
Woolwich 1 6.89x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 7
Patrick 4
Michael 3
James 2
Martin 2
William 2
Charles 1
Edward 1
Fred 1
Henry 1
Hugh 1
Terence 1
Thomas 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 Murty households.

FAQ

Murty surname: questions and answers

How common was the Murty surname in 1881?

In 1881, 117 people were recorded with the Murty surname. That placed it at #18,026 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Murty surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 147 in 2016. That gives Murty a modern rank of #24,071.

What does the Murty surname mean?

A surname of Indian origin, possibly derived from the Sanskrit word "Murti" meaning image or idol.

What does the Murty map show?

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