# Murdoch (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/murdoch/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

A Scottish surname from Scottish Gaelic.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | Scottish Gaelic |
| Type | not recorded |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 3,790 |
| US rank (2010) | 8,669 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 81,463 people |
| Change since 2000 | +4.8% (3,615 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈmɜː(ɹ)dɒk/, 2 syllables |
| Variant spellings | none recorded |

## Etymology

Unknown, but possibly from Scottish Gaelic muir (“sea”), or from muireach (“mariner”); or from descendants of Clan Macpherson, also titled "Clann Mhuirich" indicating descent from "Mhuirich the Parson"; or from descendants of legendary bard Muiredach O Daly.

## Who carries it

Share of people named Murdoch in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 93% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 1.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.7% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.8% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.4% |
| Two or more races | 1.5% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Murdoch in Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom.

## People named Murdoch

- Rupert Murdoch, American businessman
- Lachlan Murdoch, British-American-Australian businessman (born 1971)
- Billy Murdoch, Australian cricketer (1854-1911)
- Keith Murdoch, Australian journalist (1885–1952)
- Sarah Murdoch, Australian model and television presenter
- Dick Murdoch, American professional wrestler
- Adam Hall, badminton player

## Similar surnames

Murdock, Murdaugh, Martz, Mertz, Moritz, Mardis, Martucci, Maradiaga, Moretz, Murtagh, Mertes, Murtaugh.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.