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

Murdock, 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 Murdock surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Murdock in America

Murdock is the 1804th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Murdock surname appeared 19,873 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 7 people would have the surname Murdock.

We can also compare 2010 data for Murdock 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 Murdock

The surname Murdock has its origins in the ancient Scottish Gaelic language, derived from the personal name "Muireadhach," which means "lord" or "superior." The name is believed to have originated in the Scottish Highlands during the Middle Ages.

Murdock is a variant spelling of the more common Murdoch, with the latter being the anglicized version of the original Gaelic name. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in medieval Scottish records and manuscripts, often referring to prominent individuals from noble or aristocratic families.

One of the earliest known references to the name Murdock can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a document containing the names of Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. Among the names listed is that of Gilbert Murdoch, a landowner from Ayrshire.

In the 14th century, the name appears in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, with mentions of individuals such as John Murdoch, who served as a clerk in the Scottish royal court during the reign of King David II (1329-1371).

The Murdock surname has been associated with several notable figures throughout history, including Sir Walter Murdoch (1553-1639), a Scottish soldier and diplomat who served under King James VI of Scotland and I of England. Another prominent Murdock was William Murdoch (1754-1839), a Scottish engineer and inventor who is credited with inventing the first gas lighting system.

In the literary world, the name Murdoch is perhaps most famously associated with Iris Murdoch (1919-1999), the renowned British novelist and philosopher. Her works, including "Under the Net" and "The Sea, The Sea," earned her critical acclaim and numerous literary awards.

Other notable individuals with the Murdock surname include John Murdock (1792-1871), an early leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a close associate of Joseph Smith, and Marshall Murdock (1836-1899), a prominent American businessman and financier who played a significant role in the development of the petroleum industry.

While the Murdock surname originated in Scotland, it has since spread to various parts of the world, with significant populations in the United States, Canada, and other countries with Scottish diaspora communities.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Murdock

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

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

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

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