2000
#15,269
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,767
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.66
Rare Last name
Murch
A surname derived from the Old English word 'murc', meaning solemn or serious.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,019 Americans carry the last name Murch. That puts it at #15,923 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.59 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 169,764 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Murch surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Murch with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.0K
1 in 169,764
Census rank
#15,923
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,761 bearers of the surname Murch in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.59 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15923rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Murch, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%) and Hispanic (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Murch
The surname Murch is believed to have originated in England, with roots dating back to the 11th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "murc," meaning "murky" or "dark," potentially referring to someone with a swarthy complexion or someone who lived in a dark, wooded area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Murch can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of land and property ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appeared in various spellings, including "Murch," "Murche," and "Myrch."
During the 13th century, the name Murch was particularly prevalent in the counties of Devon and Somerset in southwestern England. Several records from that period mention individuals bearing this surname, such as Robert Murch, who was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Somerset in 1243.
The name Murch is also associated with various place names in England, such as Murchington in Shropshire and Murch Knoll in Devon. These place names may have influenced the surname or vice versa, as it was common for people to adopt surnames derived from the places they lived or worked.
Notable individuals with the surname Murch throughout history include:
1. John Murch (c. 1520-1592), an English Protestant martyr who was burned at the stake for his religious beliefs during the reign of Mary I.
2. Walter Murch (born 1945), an acclaimed American film editor, sound designer, and director known for his work on films like "Apocalypse Now" and "The English Patient."
3. Arundel Murch (1892-1989), a British artist and sculptor known for his bronze statues and war memorials.
4. Benjamin Murch (1760-1841), an American shipbuilder and merchant from Maine who played a significant role in the state's maritime industry.
5. Jeremias Andrew Murch (1827-1905), an American Congregational minister and abolitionist who served as the president of Oberlin College from 1867 to 1888.
While the surname Murch may not be as widespread as some others, it has a rich history spanning centuries and has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including religious figures, artists, and entrepreneurs.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Murch
Among Census respondents with the surname Murch, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%) and Hispanic (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Murch bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Murch surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.8% · 1,564
- Two or more races4.5% · 80
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 69
- Black or African American1.3% · 23
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 13
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Murch
Murch appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#15,931
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,824
+57 bearers (+3.2%)
Per 100,000 0.62
Rank movement Down 662 places
2020
#15,923
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,761
-63 bearers (-3.5%)
Per 100,000 0.59
Rank movement Up 8 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #15,269 | 1,767 | 0.66 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,931 | 1,824 | 0.62 | +57 bearers (+3.2%) | Down 662 places |
| 2020 | #15,923 | 1,761 | 0.59 | -63 bearers (-3.5%) | Up 8 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Murch surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #15,931 | #15,923 | 0.1% |
| Count | 1,824 | 1,761 | -3.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.62 | 0.59 | -5.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Murch bearers went from 1,824 to 1,761 (-3.5% change). The surname moved up 8 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,931 to #15,923.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Murch
FAQ
Murch surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Murch?
Name Census estimates that about 2,019 living Americans carry the surname Murch. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 169,764 residents.
How common is Murch?
Murch ranks #15,923 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.59 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,761 people with the surname Murch. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,019), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.59 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.59 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Murch.
Has Murch become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Murch went from 1,824 recorded bearers to 1,761. That is a decrease of 63 (-3.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,931 to #15,923.
What does the Census say about the background of Murch?
Among Census respondents with the surname Murch, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%) and Hispanic (3.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Murch in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.8% (1,564 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Murch appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.8%), Two or More Races (4.5%), Hispanic (3.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Murch (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Murch mean?
A surname derived from the Old English word 'murc', meaning solemn or serious. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Murch (0.59 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Murch?
See how many people are called Murch on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.