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

Murchison, 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 Murchison surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Murchison in America

Murchison is the 8106th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Murchison surname appeared 4,089 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 Murchison.

We can also compare 2010 data for Murchison 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 Murchison

The surname Murchison originates from Scotland, with the first recorded instances dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the lands of Murchison in Ayrshire, which translates to "the son of Maurice" in Gaelic. The name is a territorial designation, indicating that the original bearer of the surname hailed from this particular region.

Early records show variations in spelling, including Murchisone, Muriceson, and Murchieson. One of the earliest appearances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented those who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name Murchisone is listed among the Scottish nobles who pledged their loyalty.

In the 14th century, the Murchisons were a prominent family in Ayrshire, with their ancestral lands located near the town of Cumnock. They played a role in the Wars of Scottish Independence, supporting Robert the Bruce in his quest for the Scottish throne.

Notable individuals with the surname Murchison include Sir Roderick Impey Murchison (1792-1871), a renowned Scottish geologist and pioneer in the study of stratigraphy. He was knighted for his contributions to the field and served as the President of the Royal Geographical Society.

Another notable figure is Sir Alexander Murchison (1829-1904), a Scottish-Australian pastoralist and explorer. He led expeditions into the Australian outback and was instrumental in the development of the northern territories.

In the literary world, Robert Murchison (1741-1821) was a Scottish writer and historian, best known for his work "The History of the Present Rebellion in Scotland" which documented the Jacobite Uprising of 1745.

The surname Murchison has also been associated with several place names, such as Murchison Falls, a waterfall on the Nile River in Uganda, and the Murchison River in Western Australia, both named after Sir Roderick Impey Murchison.

While the Murchisons were predominantly found in Scotland, the name has since spread to other parts of the world through emigration and migration. However, its origins can be traced back to the ancient lands of Ayrshire, where the family's legacy began.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Murchison

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

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 Murchison 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 Murchison 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 Murchison was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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