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

Murdoch, 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 Murdoch surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Murdoch in America

Murdoch is the 8669th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Murdoch surname appeared 3,790 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 Murdoch.

We can also compare 2010 data for Murdoch 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 Murdoch

The surname Murdoch has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Gaelic name "Muireach," which means "mariner" or "navigator." The name was initially associated with coastal regions of Scotland, particularly the areas around the Firth of Clyde and the Hebrides islands.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Murdoch can be found in the Ragman Rolls, a collection of homage rolls from the late 13th century. In these rolls, several individuals with the name Murdoch are mentioned, indicating that the name was already established in Scotland by that time.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the Murdoch family played a prominent role in Scottish history. One notable figure was Sir Robert Murdoch, who served as the Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland under King Robert II in the late 14th century.

In the 16th century, the name Murdoch was closely associated with the Clan Murdoch, a Highland Scottish clan based in the region of Argyll. The clan's ancestral seat was located at Cumlodden, near the town of Inveraray.

Another significant individual bearing the surname Murdoch was William Murdoch (1754-1839), a Scottish engineer and inventor. He is credited with the invention of the first practical gaslight, which he demonstrated in 1792. His contributions paved the way for the widespread use of gaslight in cities and towns across Europe and North America.

The surname Murdoch has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as Murdochcairney in Fife and Murdochston in Renfrewshire. These place names likely originated from individuals with the surname Murdoch who owned or resided in those areas.

Among other notable individuals with the surname Murdoch are:

1. Iris Murdoch (1919-1999), a renowned British novelist and philosopher.
2. Rupert Murdoch (born 1931), an Australian-American media mogul and founder of News Corp.
3. Patrick Murdoch (1777-1870), a Scottish journalist and political activist.
4. William McMurdo Murdoch (1873-1912), the First Officer on the RMS Titanic who went down with the ship.
5. Alasdair Murdoch (born 1965), a Scottish businessman and former CEO of Gala Coral Group.

The surname Murdoch has a rich history deeply rooted in Scottish culture and has been carried by many influential individuals throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Murdoch

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

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

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

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