Murtie
A feminine name likely derived from the French place name Mortagne.
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Murtie. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Murtie today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Murtie births was 1886 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Murtie. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Murtie. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1886
5 babies that year
Average age
-
1929 SSA rank
#5,077
Tracked since 1886
Popularity
Murtie: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Murtie from the 1880s through to the 1920s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 5 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Murtie by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Murtie during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Murtie
The name Murtie has its origins in the Scottish Gaelic language, with roots tracing back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Gaelic word "muirneach," which means "cheerful" or "pleasant." The name was initially used in the Highlands of Scotland and was particularly popular among the clans of the region.
In terms of historical references, the name Murtie is mentioned in several Scottish clan records and genealogical documents from the 16th and 17th centuries. While its usage was not widespread, it held cultural significance within certain Highland communities.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Murtie was Murtie MacLeod, who lived in the late 16th century and was a member of the influential Clan MacLeod on the Isle of Skye. Another noteworthy figure was Murtie MacDonald, born in 1612, who was a prominent figure in the Clan MacDonald and played a role in the Scottish Wars of the Three Kingdoms.
In the 18th century, Murtie Cameron, born in 1732, was a Scottish Highlander who fought alongside the Jacobite forces during the Rising of 1745. Despite the defeat of the Jacobites, Murtie Cameron's bravery and loyalty to the cause became legendary among his clansmen.
Moving into the 19th century, Murtie MacKenzie, born in 1815, was a renowned Scottish poet and writer who hailed from the Highlands. Her works celebrated the rich culture and traditions of her homeland and helped preserve the Gaelic language and heritage.
Another notable figure was Murtie Stewart, born in 1867, who was a Scottish academic and historian. He dedicated his life to researching and documenting the history of the Highland clans, making significant contributions to the study of Scottish genealogy and ancestry.
While the name Murtie has become less common in modern times, it remains a part of Scottish cultural heritage, carrying the essence of cheerfulness and pleasantness from its Gaelic origins.
People
Murtie + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Murtie as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Murtie: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Murtie?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Murtie going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about - US residents.
Is Murtie a common name?
We classify Murtie as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 15 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Murtie most popular?
The single biggest year for Murtie was 1886, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Murtie is about 0 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Murtie in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Murtie a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Murtie in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Murtie still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Murtie in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Murtie can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many Americans are named Murtie?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.