Murray Family History

Murray Surname Meaning

Scottish: habitational name from Moray in northeastern Scotland which derives from Celtic mori- ‘sea’ + treb- ‘settlement’. The founder of the Scottish house of Murray was a Fleming named Freskin who was granted Strathbrock in West Lothian and Duffus in Moray by David I. The family took its name from the region in the late 12th century.

Irish and Scottish: shortened form of McMurray. Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Muireadhaigh ‘descendant of Muireadhach’ a personal name meaning ‘mariner’. Occasionally it may be a shortened form of McMurray.

Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Giolla Mhuire ‘son of the servant (i.e. devotee) of Mary’. See also Gilmore.

In some cases also an Americanized form of Arabic Merhi.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022

Similar surnames: Murley, Curry, Murra, Merry, Mcmurray, Murphy, Murrin, Mulroy, Curran, Murty

1M	Birth, Marriage, and Deaths
267K	Military Records
408K	Immigration Records
1M	Census and Voter Lists
2M	Member Trees

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Where is the Murray family from?

You can see how Murray families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Murray family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Murray families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 4,073 Murray families living in Lancashire. This was about 24% of all the recorded Murray's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Murray families in 1891.

Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Murray surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Murray

What did your Murray ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General labourer and Unpaid domestic duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Murray. 12% of Murray men worked as a General labourer and 63% of Murray women worked as an Unpaid domestic duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Murray were Bricklayer and Housewife.

View Census Data for Murray

Data not to scale

We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

General labourer

12%

Builders labourer

Incapacitated

Bricklayer

Unpaid domestic duties

63%

Unpaid domestic

Private means

Housewife

What Murray family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 1M census records available for the last name Murray. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Murray census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Murray

Passenger List

There are 408K immigration records available for the last name Murray. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Murray immigration records

Military Records

There are 267K military records available for the last name Murray. For the veterans among your Murray ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Murray military records

You've only scratched the surface of Murray family history

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What is the average Murray lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Murray life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1942, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Murray in 1940 was 43, and 75 in 2004.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Murray family tree

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Murray Surname Meaning

Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Giolla Mhuire ‘son of the servant (i.e. devotee) of Mary’. See also Gilmore.

In some cases also an Americanized form of Arabic Merhi.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022

Where is the Murray family from?

What did your Murray ancestors do for a living?

Data not to scale

We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

General labourer

12%

Builders labourer

Incapacitated

Bricklayer

Unpaid domestic duties

63%

Unpaid domestic

Private means

Housewife

What Murray family records will you find?

What is the average Murray lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Murray life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1942, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Murray in 1940 was 43, and 75 in 2004.

Murray Family History

Murray Surname Meaning

6 million record(s) for Murray

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Where is the Murray family from?

What did your Murray ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1939

Top Female Occupations In 1939

What Murray family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Murray family history

What is the average Murray lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Murray family tree

Search for another surname

Murray Surname Meaning

6 million record(s) for Murray

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Where is the Murray family from?

What did your Murray ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1939

Top Female Occupations In 1939

What Murray family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Murray family history

What is the average Murray lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Murray family tree

Search for another surname