Show ContentsMcMurdie History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancient Dalriadan-Scottish name McMurdie is a nickname for a seagoing warrior. The Gaelic form of the name is Mac Mhurchaidh, which means son of the sea warrior.

Early Origins of the McMurdie family

The surname McMurdie 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 McMurdie family

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

McMurdie Spelling Variations

Spelling variations were extremely common in medieval names, since scribes from that era recorded names according to sound rather than a standard set of rules. McMurdie has appeared in various documents spelled MacMurdo, MacMurdie, MacMurdy, Murdoson, MacMurdiston and many more.

Early Notables of the McMurdie family

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


United States McMurdie migration to the United States +

Significant portions of the populations of both the United States and Canada are still made up of the ancestors of Dalriadan families. Some of those in Canada originally settled the United States, but went north as United Empire Loyalists in the American War of Independence. The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw the ancestors of many Scots on both sides of the border begin to recover their collective national heritage through Clan societies and highland games. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

McMurdie Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • S. K. McMurdie, aged 32, originally from Liverpool, arrived in New York in 1892 aboard the ship "Wyoming" from Liverpool, England 1
  • H. E. McMurdie, aged 30, arrived in New York in 1893 aboard the ship "Umbria" from Liverpool, England 1
McMurdie Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Alice McMurdie, aged 33, arrived in New York in 1907 aboard the ship "Havana" from Havana, Cuba 1
  • Thomas McMurdie, aged 58, originally from Weybridge, England, arrived in New York in 1913 aboard the ship "Baltic" from Liverpool, England 1
  • Alex Mc Murdie, aged 23, originally from Ireland, arrived in New York in 1917 aboard the ship "City of Oran" from Hull, England 1

Contemporary Notables of the name McMurdie (post 1700) +

  • Mrs. McMurdie (1862-1952), born Gertrude Demain Hammond, a British painter and children's book illustrator


  1. Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result


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