2000
#8,402
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,615
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.34
Rare Last name
Murdoch
A Scottish toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "the sea warrior" or "the sea protector."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,503 Americans carry the last name Murdoch. That puts it at #8,080 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.31 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 76,117 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Murdoch surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Murdoch with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.5K
1 in 76,117
Census rank
#8,080
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,927 bearers of the surname Murdoch in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.31 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8080th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Murdoch, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Murdoch
Among Census respondents with the surname Murdoch, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Murdoch bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Murdoch surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.1% · 3,539
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 157
- Two or more races3.2% · 125
- Black or African American1.5% · 60
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 35
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Murdoch
Murdoch appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#8,669
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,790
+175 bearers (+4.8%)
Per 100,000 1.28
Rank movement Down 267 places
2020
#8,080
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,927
+137 bearers (+3.6%)
Per 100,000 1.31
Rank movement Up 589 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,402 | 3,615 | 1.34 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,669 | 3,790 | 1.28 | +175 bearers (+4.8%) | Down 267 places |
| 2020 | #8,080 | 3,927 | 1.31 | +137 bearers (+3.6%) | Up 589 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Murdoch surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #8,669 | #8,080 | 6.8% |
| Count | 3,790 | 3,927 | 3.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.28 | 1.31 | 2.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Murdoch bearers went from 3,790 to 3,927 (+3.6% change). The surname moved up 589 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,669 to #8,080.
FAQ
Murdoch surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Murdoch?
Name Census estimates that about 4,503 living Americans carry the surname Murdoch. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 76,117 residents.
How common is Murdoch?
Murdoch ranks #8,080 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.31 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,927 people with the surname Murdoch. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,503), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.31 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.31 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Murdoch.
Has Murdoch become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Murdoch went from 3,790 recorded bearers to 3,927. That is an increase of 137 (+3.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,669 to #8,080.
What does the Census say about the background of Murdoch?
Among Census respondents with the surname Murdoch, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Murdoch in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.1% (3,539 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Murdoch appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.1%), Hispanic (4.0%), Two or More Races (3.2%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Murdoch (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Murdoch mean?
A Scottish toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "the sea warrior" or "the sea protector." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Murdoch (1.31 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Murdoch?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.