McMurry
An Anglicized surname form built on Murray, with the Mc- prefix reflecting Scottish or Irish family naming practice.
The #8,882 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 83,739 Americans shares it.
Etymology
McMurry is a prefixed surname formed from Mc/Mac plus a reduced form of Murray. In surname practice, that usually points back to a Gaelic family name behind Murray, often understood as related to the old name Muire or a regional Murray/Murrey form rather than a literal occupation or nickname. The spelling with -Murry is an English-language variant that developed alongside McMurray, McMorrow, and similar spellings.
History
The historical excerpts place McMurry among a cluster of Mac/Mc surnames that were being grouped as related spelling forms in 19th- and early-20th-century surname lists. In North America, Mc- surnames often became fluid in spelling, so McMurry and McMurray could appear for the same family or in closely related branches. The name is now relatively uncommon, but it survives mainly in English-speaking countries, especially the United States.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The old surname books group McMurry with MacMurray, McMorry, and MacMorry, showing how many Gaelic surnames ended up with several interchangeable English spellings.
From the historical record
“MacKurdy, MacKirdy. TUac t"nt}i|ieAT)Ai5, MacMurry, MacMorry, MacMorray, Mac Murray ; MacMorrow ; Murry, Murray ; Morrow. tTlAC liltnueA-OAi^, Currie,”
— Sloinnte Gaedheal is Gall: Irish names and surnames