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Origins of the Murray surname

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What does the name Murray mean?

Murray is a Scottish surname that has a geographic origin. The name is thought to be a variation of the place 'Moray', an area of northern Scotland. It would have been given to those who hail from this area of the country, or have allegiance to the historical clan of the same name from this area.

Alternative variations of the name Murray

Murray, Murrey, Murrie, Murie, Muray

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Where do most Murrays live?

In 1921, most Murrays lived in London.


Census records trace your ancestors through each generation, so you can follow where your relatives lived through each decade.

Interesting facts about Murrays

How common is your surname?

94th most common surname in the UK

We have 302,000 records for the Murray surname. The oldest one dates back to 1100.

Who were Murrays most likely to marry?

Our Marriage record sets tell us which families married Murrays.

What are the most common Murray first names?

  • John
  • James
  • Mary
  • Margaret

Our birth record sets tell us the names of Murray family members

Common jobs for Murrays

Men and women often performed different types of jobs, so these are displayed by gender to maintain their historical accuracy.

Common Female occupations for Murrays in 1921
Dressmaker

1,382

Domestic Servant

1,227

Housekeeper

914

F S

712

General Servant

663

Common Male occupations for Murrays in 1921
Coal Miner

1,595

General Labourer

1,401

Fisherman

1,373

Tailor

1,128

Farmer

892

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Census records provide incredible detail on names, ages, marital statuses, occupations and more.

We found over 510,000 family trees with the Murray surname

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