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Irish surname

MacMurray: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Mac Giolla Mhuire; Mac Muireadhaigh · Mac Giolla Mhuire: 'son of Giolla Mhuire' (servant of Mary); Mac Muireadhaigh: 'son of Muireadhach' (belonging to the sea, a mariner; also a lord)

Woulfe (1923) prints MacMurray under two different Irish names: Mac Giolla Mhuire, a Co. Down family who were chiefs of Ui Derca Cein, and Mac Muireadhaigh, an old Breifney surname. In 1890, 19 McMurray birth entries (including spelling varieties) were registered in Ireland, 18 of them in Ulster.

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Coat of arms associated with the MacMurray surname
Irish formMac Giolla Mhuire; Mac Muireadhaigh
MeaningMac Giolla Mhuire: 'son of Giolla Mhuire' (servant of Mary); Mac Muireadhaigh: 'son of Muireadhach' (belonging to the sea, a mariner; also a lord)
CountiesDown, Antrim, Armagh
Other spellings5
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Origin of the MacMurray name

Woulfe prints MacMurray under (1) Mac Giolla Mhuire, a Co. Down family, chiefs of Ui Derca Cein in the barony of Castlereagh, a branch of the family of O'Morna, lords of Lecale; and (2) Mac Muireadhaigh, 'an old Breifney surname, still common in the district, but generally anglicised MacMorrow'.[1][2]

  1. 1276Four Masters: Dermot Mac Gillamurry, Lord of Lecale, died.[4]
  2. 189019 McMurray birth entries in Ireland including spelling varieties (16 spelled McMurray); 18 in Ulster, 1 in Connaught.[3]

Where in Ireland

Co. DownWoulfe: Mac Giolla Mhuire family, chiefs of Ui Derca Cein, barony of Castlereagh.[1]
Co. AntrimMatheson 1890: principally found in Antrim and Armagh.[3]
Co. ArmaghMatheson 1890: principally found in Antrim and Armagh.[3]

Other spellings

McMurray · MacMurry · MacMorray · MacIlmurray · MacKilmurray[3]

Scottish connection

Woulfe: Mac Giolla Mhuire 'is also in use in Scotland, where it is anglicised Morrison (i.e., Muire's son)'.[1]

The MacMurray coat of arms

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the MacMurray surname. In Irish and British heraldry a coat of arms is granted to one person and passes to their heirs; it does not belong to everyone who shares the surname. Many families still use the arms of their name as a symbol of their heritage.

MacMurray surname: questions

What does the surname MacMurray mean?

Woulfe gives two Irish sources for MacMurray: Mac Giolla Mhuire, 'son of Giolla Mhuire' (servant of Mary), and Mac Muireadhaigh, 'son of Muireadhach' (belonging to the sea, a mariner; also a lord).[1][2]

Where in Ireland is the MacMurray name from?

Woulfe places the Mac Giolla Mhuire family in Co. Down (chiefs of Ui Derca Cein, barony of Castlereagh) and the Mac Muireadhaigh surname in Breifney. In 1890 the McMurray entries were principally in Antrim and Armagh.[1][2][3]

Is MacMurray a Scottish name?

Woulfe says Mac Giolla Mhuire 'is also in use in Scotland, where it is anglicised Morrison (i.e., Muire's son)'.[1]

Sources

  1. Mac Giolla Mhuire — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/macg/mac-giolla-mhuire.php
  2. Mac Muireadhaigh — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/macm/mac-muireadhaigh.php
  3. McMurray — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/mcmurray.php
  4. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 1276 — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005C/text011.html

Note: Matheson's 1890 figures for a surname include its spelling varieties (Matheson, Table Explanation).