Murdo History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland

Etymology of Murdo

What does the name Murdo mean?

The first family to use the name Murdo lived in the ancient Scottish kingdom of Dalriada. It was used as 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 Murdo family

The surname Murdo 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 Murdo family

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

Murdo Spelling Variations

Medieval translation of Gaelic names could not be referred to as an accurate process. Spelling was not yet standardized, and names in documents from that era are riddled with spelling variations. Murdo has been written as MacMurdo, MacMurdie, MacMurdy, Murdoson, MacMurdiston and many more.

Early Notables of the Murdo family

MacMurdo of Dunscore

Migration of the Murdo family

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: Jonathon, and Robert McMurdey settled in Philadelphia in 1814; Benjamin, Jonathon, Robert McMurdy settled in Philadelphia in 1807; John McMurdy settled in New York in 1804..

Contemporary Notables of the name Murdo (post 1700) +

Neil Murdo Cameron (1938-2019), Canadian politician, MNA for Jacques-Cartier (1989-1994)
Douglas Murdo beaton (1901-1990), English Surgeon Rear Admiral
Murdo George McIver (1893-1981), American camper and hiker whose cabin is now a favorite shelter for hikers of the Pacific Crest Trail