2000
#1,724
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,041
First available Census row
Per 100,000 7.06
Uncommon Last name
Murdock
A Scottish and Irish surname derived from a place meaning "the fortified hill of the dock or dark stream."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 22,103 Americans carry the last name Murdock. That puts it at #1,824 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 6.45 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 15,507 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Murdock 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 Murdock with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
22K
1 in 15,507
Census rank
#1,824
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
6.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
19K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 19,275 bearers of the surname Murdock in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 6.45 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1824th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Murdock, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.4%. The next largest groups are Black (14.0%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Murdock
The surname Murdock has its origins in the ancient Scottish Gaelic language, derived from the personal name "Muireadhach," which means "lord" or "superior." The name is believed to have originated in the Scottish Highlands during the Middle Ages.
Murdock is a variant spelling of the more common Murdoch, with the latter being the anglicized version of the original Gaelic name. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in medieval Scottish records and manuscripts, often referring to prominent individuals from noble or aristocratic families.
One of the earliest known references to the name Murdock can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a document containing the names of Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. Among the names listed is that of Gilbert Murdoch, a landowner from Ayrshire.
In the 14th century, the name appears in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, with mentions of individuals such as John Murdoch, who served as a clerk in the Scottish royal court during the reign of King David II (1329-1371).
The Murdock surname has been associated with several notable figures throughout history, including Sir Walter Murdoch (1553-1639), a Scottish soldier and diplomat who served under King James VI of Scotland and I of England. Another prominent Murdock was William Murdoch (1754-1839), a Scottish engineer and inventor who is credited with inventing the first gas lighting system.
In the literary world, the name Murdoch is perhaps most famously associated with Iris Murdoch (1919-1999), the renowned British novelist and philosopher. Her works, including "Under the Net" and "The Sea, The Sea," earned her critical acclaim and numerous literary awards.
Other notable individuals with the Murdock surname include John Murdock (1792-1871), an early leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a close associate of Joseph Smith, and Marshall Murdock (1836-1899), a prominent American businessman and financier who played a significant role in the development of the petroleum industry.
While the Murdock surname originated in Scotland, it has since spread to various parts of the world, with significant populations in the United States, Canada, and other countries with Scottish diaspora communities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Murdock
Among Census respondents with the surname Murdock, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.4%. The next largest groups are Black (14.0%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Murdock 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 Murdock surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White76.4% · 14,719
- Black or African American14.0% · 2,700
- Two or more races4.1% · 783
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 752
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 198
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 123
Timeline
Historical Census data for Murdock
Murdock 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
#1,804
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,873
+832 bearers (+4.4%)
Per 100,000 6.74
Rank movement Down 80 places
2020
#1,824
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,275
-598 bearers (-3.0%)
Per 100,000 6.45
Rank movement Down 20 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,724 | 19,041 | 7.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,804 | 19,873 | 6.74 | +832 bearers (+4.4%) | Down 80 places |
| 2020 | #1,824 | 19,275 | 6.45 | -598 bearers (-3.0%) | Down 20 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 Murdock 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 | #1,804 | #1,824 | -1.1% |
| Count | 19,873 | 19,275 | -3.0% |
| Per 100K | 6.74 | 6.45 | -4.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Murdock bearers went from 19,873 to 19,275 (-3.0% change). The surname moved down 20 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,804 to #1,824.
FAQ
Murdock surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Murdock?
Name Census estimates that about 22,103 living Americans carry the surname Murdock. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 15,507 residents.
How common is Murdock?
Murdock ranks #1,824 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 6.45 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 19,275 people with the surname Murdock. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (22,103), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 6.45 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 6.45 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Murdock.
Has Murdock become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Murdock went from 19,873 recorded bearers to 19,275. That is a decrease of 598 (-3.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,804 to #1,824.
What does the Census say about the background of Murdock?
Among Census respondents with the surname Murdock, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.4%. The next largest groups are Black (14.0%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Murdock in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.4% (14,719 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Murdock appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (76.4%), Black (14.0%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Murdock (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 Murdock mean?
A Scottish and Irish surname derived from a place meaning "the fortified hill of the dock or dark stream." 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 Murdock (6.45 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 many people have the last name Murdock?
Find out how common the surname Murdock is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.