Murray Family History

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Murray Name Meaning

Scottish: regional name from Moray in northeastern Scotland, which is probably named with Old Celtic elements meaning ‘sea’ + ‘settlement’. Irish (southern Ulster): reduced Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Muireadhaigh ‘descendant of Muireadhach’ (the name of several different families in various parts of Ireland), or a shortened form of McMurray. Irish: reduced form of MacIlmurray, Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Giolla Mhuire (see Gilmore).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


Similar surnames: Murley, Curry, Murra, Merry, Mcmurray, Murphy, Murrin, Mulroy, Curran

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Murray Family Origin

Where is the Murray family from?

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You can see how Murray families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Murray family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Murray families were found in the USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 2,834 Murray families living in Ontario. This was about 42% of all the recorded Murray's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Murray families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Murray surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Murray

Murray Family Occupations

What did your Murray ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the CA named Murray. 29% of Murray men worked as a Farmer and 11% of Murray women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Murray were Clerk and Student

View Census data for Murray | Data not to scale

Top Male Occupations in 1921

  • Farmer
    29%
  • Labourer
    7%
  • Laborer
    4%
  • Clerk
    3%

Top Female Occupations in 1921

  • Stenographer
    11%
  • Housekeeper
    8%
  • Teacher
    7%
  • Student
    6%

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Murray Historical Records

What Murray family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 1 million census records available for the last name Murray. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Murray census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search 1881 Canadian census records for Murray

Passenger List

There are 408,000 immigration records available for the last name Murray. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

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Draft Card

There are 267,000 military records available for the last name Murray. For the veterans among your Murray ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Murray military records

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Murray Life Expectancy

What is the average Murray lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Murray life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1942, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Murray in 1940 was 43, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Murray

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Murray ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

Famous Murray Family Ancestors

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