Find out how popular the last name McMurry is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named McMurry.

McMurry, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the McMurry surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McMurry in America

McMurry is the 8882nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McMurry surname appeared 3,687 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname McMurry.

We can also compare 2010 data for McMurry to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name McMurry

The surname McMurry has its origins in Scotland, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is a Gaelic name derived from the elements "mac" meaning "son of" and "Murchadh" or "Murchaidh," which is a personal name derived from the Gaelic words "muir" meaning "sea" and "cath" meaning "battle." This suggests that the name may have originated from an ancestor who was a skilled seafarer or naval warrior.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 13th century, where it appeared in various Scottish records and manuscripts with spellings such as "MacMurchy," "MacMurchy," and "MacMurquhye." The name was particularly prevalent in the regions of Argyll and the Western Isles, where it was associated with several notable families and clans.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of instruments of homage to Edward I of England, indicating that individuals bearing the name were landowners or persons of importance during that time.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname was Gillecrist McMurchy, who served as the Bishop of Argyll between 1293 and 1301. Another notable figure was John McMurray, a Scottish mathematician and astronomer who lived from 1589 to 1657 and made significant contributions to the advancement of science during the Renaissance.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the McMurry name was associated with several prominent families in Scotland, including the McMurrays of Auchindrain and the McMurrays of Balgrigie. These families held influential positions and played important roles in the political and social fabric of their respective regions.

In the 18th century, the name gained recognition with the birth of William McMurray (1718-1794), a Scottish poet and playwright who was known for his works such as "The Conquest of Quebec" and "The Pursuits of Literature."

Another notable individual was James McMurray (1768-1837), a Scottish-born American politician and military officer who served as a brigadier general in the War of 1812 and was later elected as a U.S. Representative from Virginia.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McMurry

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname McMurry.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for McMurry was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of McMurry has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name McMurry was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of McMurry, please contact us.

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