Show ContentsMurrey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

In Scottish history, few names go farther back than Murrey, whose ancestors lived among the clans of the Pictish tribe. They lived in the county of Moray in the northeast of Scotland, but some historians describe the Clan's forbears as originally Flemish, some as Lowland Scots. More enlightened research places them as descendents of MacAngus de Moravia, who was descended from King Duncan of Scotland and who was the first Earl of Murray.

Early Origins of the Murrey family

The surname Murrey was first found in Moray, where the Clan founder, Freskin, received a grant of the lands of Strathbrock in 1100 AD. He was descended from the first Earl, and his grandson, William, married the heiress of the Bothwell Clan in Lanarkshire. His sons founded many other houses, including the Murrays of Tullibardine, who later became the Dukes of Atholl, and Chiefs of the Clan.

At the same time, an early branch in the north had given origin to the Earls of Sutherland. Andrew Moray (died 1297) also known as Andrew de Moray, Andrew of Moray, or Andrew Murray, was prominent in the Scottish Wars of Independence.

He led the rising in north Scotland in the summer of 1297 against the occupation by King Edward I of England. He was mortally wounded in the fighting at the Battle of Stirling Bridge.

Early History of the Murrey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Murrey research. Another 596 words (43 lines of text) covering the years 1100, 1170, 1203, 1255, 1297, 1320, 1333, 1360, 1446, 1586, 1598, 1600, 1608, 1629, 1631, 1640, 1650, 1655, 1660, 1663, 1673, 1691, 1701, 1703, 1710, 1715, 1716, 1719, 1724, 1734, 1745, 1765 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Murrey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Murrey Spelling Variations

The arts of spelling and translation were yet in their infancies when surnames began, so there are an enormous number of spelling variations of the names in early Scottish records. This is a particular problem with Scottish names because of the numerous times a name might have been loosely translated to English from Gaelic and back. Murrey has been spelled Murray, Murrey, Moray, Morey, Morrey, Morry, Murry, MacMhuirich (Gaelic) and many more.

Early Notables of the Murrey family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was

  • Sir Robert Moray (Murrey, Murray) (1608-1673), a Scottish soldier, statesman, diplomat, judge, spy, freemason and natural philosopher
  • Humphrey Morrey, or Murrey (c.1650-1716), the first Mayor of Philadelphia (1691-1701)

Ireland Migration of the Murrey family to Ireland

Some of the Murrey family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 59 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Murrey migration to the United States +

This oppression forced many Scots to leave their homelands. Most of these chose North America as their destination. Although the journey left many sick and poor, these immigrants were welcomed the hardy with great opportunity. Many of these settlers stood up for their newfound freedom in the American War of Independence. More recently, Scots abroad have recovered much of their collective heritage through highland games and other patriotic functions and groups. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has located various settlers bearing the name Murrey:

Murrey Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Sanders Murrey, who arrived in Virginia in 1643 [1]
  • Daniell Murrey, who arrived in Virginia in 1656 [1]
  • Andrew Murrey, who landed in Virginia in 1665 [1]
Murrey Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • William Murrey, who landed in Virginia in 1711 [1]
  • David Murrey, who landed in Virginia in 1716 [1]
  • Alexander Murrey, who arrived in Virginia in 1716 [1]
  • John Murrey, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1766 [1]
Murrey Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Mathew Murrey, who arrived in New York, NY in 1811 [1]
  • James Murrey, who arrived in New York in 1822 [1]
  • Michael Murrey, who arrived in New York in 1822 [1]
  • Patrick Murrey, who landed in New York in 1823 [1]

Australia Murrey migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Murrey Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mary Murrey, aged 21, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Agincourt"

Contemporary Notables of the name Murrey (post 1700) +

  • Ennis Murrey, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Tennessee, 1940 [2]
  • Virginia Murrey Owens, American Republican politician, Candidate for West Virginia State House of Delegates from Wayne County, 1966 [3]


The Murrey Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Tout Prêt
Motto Translation: Quite ready.


  1. 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)
  2. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 17) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  3. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 26) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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