Murdough History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland

Etymology of Murdough

What does the name Murdough mean?

In ancient Scotland, the ancestors of the name Murdough lived in the Kingdom of Dalriada. In those days the name Murdough was used to indicate a person who seagoing warrior. The Gaelic form of the name is Mac Mhurchaidh, which means son of the sea warrior.

Early Origins of the Murdough family

The surname Murdough was first found in Argyllshire (Gaelic erra Ghaidheal), the region of western Scotland corresponding roughly with the ancient Kingdom of Dál Riata, in the Strathclyde region of Scotland, now part of the Council Area of Argyll and Bute, where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.

Early History of the Murdough family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Murdough research. Another 64 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Murdough History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Murdough Spelling Variations

The translation of Gaelic names in the Middle Ages was not a task undertaken with great care. Records from that era show an enormous number of spelling variations, even in names referring to the same person. Over the years Murdough has appeared as MacMurdo, MacMurdie, MacMurdy, Murdoson, MacMurdiston and many more.

Early Notables of the Murdough family

More information is included under the topic Early Murdough Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Murdough migration to the United States +

The descendants of the Dalriadan families who made the great crossing of the Atlantic still dot communities along the east coast of the United States and Canada. In the American War of Independence, many of the settlers traveled north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. Clan societies and highland games have allowed Canadian and American families of Scottish descent to recover much of their lost heritage. Investigation of the origins of family names on the North American continent has revealed that early immigrants bearing the name Murdough or a variant listed above include:

Murdough Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Matthew Murdough, who landed in New York, NY in 1811 1

Sources +

Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)