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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

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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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 1840 there were 254 Murray families living in New York. This was about 23% of all the recorded Murray's in USA. New York had the highest population of Murray families in 1840.
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.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
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What did your Murray ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Murray. 13% of Murray men worked as a Laborer and 6% of Murray women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Murray were Clerk and Maid. .

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.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    13%
  • Farmer
    9%
  • Salesman
    5%
  • Clerk
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Teacher
    6%
  • Stenographer
    6%
  • Clerk
    6%
  • Maid
    5%
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What Murray family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1 million 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.

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Passenger Lists

There are 408,000 immigration records available for the last name Murray. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

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Draft Cards

There are 267,000 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.

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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.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Murray

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