Find out how popular the last name Murtaugh is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Murtaugh.
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic name "Muircheartach" meaning "navigational" or "maritime protector."
Murtaugh, 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 Murtaugh surname is from the 2010 census data.
Murtaugh is the 19012th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Murtaugh surname appeared 1,433 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Murtaugh.
We can also compare 2010 data for Murtaugh 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.
| 2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | 19012 | 17984 | 5.56% |
| Count | 1,433 | 1,431 | 0.14% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.49 | 0.53 | -7.84% |
The surname Murtaugh is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic word "muirthaigh," which means "Sea Inlet." It is believed to have originated in Ireland during the Middle Ages, possibly as early as the 12th century.
This name is primarily associated with County Mayo, a coastal region in the west of Ireland, where it was first recorded. The earliest known reference to the name dates back to the 14th century, when it appeared in the Annals of Ulster, a historical chronicle of medieval Ireland.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Murtaugh was John Murtaugh, who was born around 1450 in County Mayo. He was a landowner and member of the local gentry. Another notable figure was Seán Murtaugh, a 16th-century Irish chieftain who fought against the English during the Elizabethan conquest of Ireland.
In the 17th century, the name Murtaugh appeared in the Cromwellian Settlement records, which documented the redistribution of land in Ireland after the English Civil War. This suggests that some Murtaugh families were landowners during this period.
As the name spread across Ireland, variations in spelling emerged, such as Murtagh, Mortaugh, and Mortagh. These variants reflect the phonetic differences in the pronunciation of the name in different regions.
In the 18th century, Michael Murtaugh (1718-1799) was a prominent merchant and landowner in County Mayo. He was known for his philanthropic efforts and contributed to the construction of several churches in the area.
During the 19th century, the Great Famine in Ireland led to a significant wave of Irish emigration, and many Murtaugh families settled in the United States, Canada, and other parts of the world. One notable individual from this period was John Murtaugh (1829-1912), a Catholic priest who served in New York City and was known for his work with Irish immigrants.
Throughout history, the surname Murtaugh has been associated with various occupations, including landowners, merchants, clergy, and farmers. While not a particularly common name, it has persisted as a distinctive Irish surname with a rich heritage.
We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Murtaugh.
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:
For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Murtaugh was:
| Race/Ethnicity | Percentage | Total Occurrences |
|---|---|---|
| Non-Hispanic White Only | 95.53% | 1,369 |
| Non-Hispanic Black Only | (S)% | (S) |
| Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only | 0.91% | 13 |
| Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native | (S)% | (S) |
| Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races | 1.12% | 16 |
| Hispanic Origin | 2.30% | 33 |
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 Murtaugh has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.
| 2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 95.53% | 97.48% | -2.02% |
| Black | (S)% | 0.35% | (S)% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.91% | (S)% | (S)% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
| Two or More Races | 1.12% | 0.70% | 46.15% |
| Hispanic | 2.30% | 0.91% | 86.60% |
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 Murtaugh was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.
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