Moray Surname
Approximately 5,044 people bear this surname
Moray Surname Definition:
Of territorial origin from the province of Moray. William de Moravia (lord of Petty) was witness to a royal charter to the Abbey of Holyrood, 1203 (LSC., p. 36). A little earlier he appears as William, son of Freskin (Inchaffray, p. 269).
Read More About This SurnameMoray Surname Distribution Map
| Place | Incidence | Frequency | Rank in Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| India | 1,403 | 1:546,732 | 26,949 |
| Turkey | 898 | 1:86,661 | 7,795 |
| Paraguay | 628 | 1:11,523 | 605 |
| Belgium | 585 | 1:19,652 | 3,042 |
| United States | 250 | 1:1,449,836 | 99,395 |
| Indonesia | 248 | 1:533,263 | 43,166 |
| Argentina | 224 | 1:190,819 | 15,892 |
| Spain | 186 | 1:251,355 | 16,061 |
| Egypt | 122 | 1:753,572 | 38,342 |
| Hong Kong | 84 | 1:87,327 | 1,583 |
| France | 79 | 1:840,794 | 99,796 |
| England | 66 | 1:844,213 | 44,691 |
| Australia | 35 | 1:771,306 | 49,759 |
| Germany | 29 | 1:2,776,050 | 134,833 |
| Canada | 28 | 1:1,315,914 | 92,927 |
| Ecuador | 19 | 1:837,150 | 13,424 |
| Scotland | 17 | 1:314,930 | 14,413 |
| Russia | 15 | 1:9,608,204 | 322,587 |
| Singapore | 13 | 1:423,669 | 18,211 |
| Brazil | 12 | 1:17,839,528 | 311,080 |
| Switzerland | 12 | 1:684,410 | 46,196 |
| United Arab Emirates | 11 | 1:832,934 | 27,512 |
| Wales | 11 | 1:281,321 | 15,850 |
| Qatar | 9 | 1:262,000 | 30,726 |
| Sierra Leone | 9 | 1:787,737 | 678 |
| Philippines | 6 | 1:16,873,037 | 249,062 |
| Saudi Arabia | 4 | 1:7,713,954 | 37,548 |
| Nigeria | 3 | 1:59,047,586 | 507,603 |
| Czechia | 3 | 1:3,544,490 | 144,714 |
| South Africa | 2 | 1:27,088,852 | 277,613 |
| Thailand | 2 | 1:35,319,172 | 966,191 |
| Venezuela | 2 | 1:15,102,038 | 69,873 |
| Uganda | 2 | 1:19,519,640 | 189,114 |
| Algeria | 2 | 1:19,315,776 | 97,017 |
| Niger | 2 | 1:9,596,008 | 86,358 |
| China | 2 | 1:683,660,783 | 30,601 |
| Italy | 1 | 1:61,156,688 | 199,583 |
| Ireland | 1 | 1:4,708,939 | 29,543 |
| Bangladesh | 1 | 1:159,356,773 | 26,077 |
| Benin | 1 | 1:10,335,602 | 103,742 |
| Cambodia | 1 | 1:15,487,146 | 14,824 |
| Chile | 1 | 1:17,616,474 | 93,597 |
| Vietnam | 1 | 1:92,646,054 | 8,382 |
| Colombia | 1 | 1:47,774,072 | 44,230 |
| Denmark | 1 | 1:5,644,715 | 93,155 |
| Guatemala | 1 | 1:16,082,668 | 12,169 |
| Israel | 1 | 1:8,557,634 | 182,558 |
| Peru | 1 | 1:31,784,123 | 64,452 |
| Tanzania | 1 | 1:52,941,613 | 123,716 |
| Kenya | 1 | 1:46,179,900 | 103,372 |
| Swaziland | 1 | 1:1,298,199 | 1,718 |
| Liberia | 1 | 1:4,408,535 | 47,110 |
| Madagascar | 1 | 1:23,649,837 | 9,420 |
| Mexico | 1 | 1:124,126,205 | 103,776 |
| New Zealand | 1 | 1:4,528,323 | 55,372 |
| Pakistan | 1 | 1:178,643,885 | 213,220 |
| Papua New Guinea | 1 | 1:8,153,717 | 181,784 |
| Place | Incidence | Frequency | Rank in Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ireland | 5 | 1:885,973 | 23,404 |
| Place | Incidence | Frequency | Rank in Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | 47 | 1:518,625 | 27,981 |
| Scotland | 6 | 1:623,869 | 16,225 |
| Place | Incidence | Frequency | Rank in Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 96 | 1:523,111 | 36,402 |
The alternate forms: Móray (1) are calculated separately.
Moray (1,305) may also be a first name.
Moray Surname Meaning
From Where Does The Surname Originate? meaning and history
Of territorial origin from the province of Moray. William de Moravia (lord of Petty) was witness to a royal charter to the Abbey of Holyrood, 1203 (LSC., p. 36). A little earlier he appears as William, son of Freskin (Inchaffray, p. 269). Hucting de Moravia witnessed confirmation of sale of the land of Scrogges, c. 1208-13 (REG., p. 76), and Malcolm de Moravia witnessed gift of a mark of silver annually to the Abbey of Arbroath, c. 1250 (RAA., I, p. 266), and also attested a charter by Malise, earl of Strathern, c. 125871 (LIM., xxxiii). William de Morreve rendered homage, 1296. His seal bears on a triangular shield three stars of six points, with a label of five points, 3' Willelmi; ae: Morevia (Bain, II, 784; Macdonald, 2050). Sir Andrew de Moravia, Hugh de Morreve, William de Morref of Ramsirgard, and Alan de Morref also rendered homage. Ricardus Merref was burgess of Aberdeen, 1317 (SCM., V, p. 10), and Sir Andrew Moray was designated 'panetarius Scotiae' in 1327. Emma de Moravia was spouse of John Schairp in Aberdeen, 1405 (Friars, 25), John de Murrefe de Ogylface in record, 1424 (LSC., p. 233), and Alexander de Moreff, juror on inquisition on lands of Tulloch, 1438 (RAA., II, 83). Harbard de Murraf held part of Easter Drumy, 1470 (Cupar-Angus. I, p. 156), John of Murrafe was steward to Alexander, duke of Albany, 1476 (Home, 23). Sir Patrick Morra was a monk of Beauly in 1480, and Stephen Murreff was witness in Brechin, 1496 (RED., II, 139)( Morray 1591, Murra 1491, Murrafe 1476, Murrai 1444, Murraue 1457, Murrave 1469, Mvry 1546, Mwrey 1732, Mwrray 1555; Mowrrey, Muref, Merref, Murrefe, Murreff, Murry, Mwry. The name Murray in Galloway is most likely from Macmurray, which see.
The founder of the clan of Sutherland settled in the XII. cent. in the province of Murref, Moray, or Moravia, comprehending the modern counties of Murray or Elgin, and parts of Inverness and Banff, whence the family for several generations assumed the name of Murref or De Moravia, which they retained even after their occupation of Sudrland or Sutherland, and their elevation to that earldom. Rymer's Foedera, v. 554.20. March, 1367. They subsequently assumed the name of Sutherland. The people did the same; and the names of Murray and Sutherland still distinguish the bulk of the population near Dunrobin, although to a stranger this would scarcely appear obvious, through their sobriquets, Bain, white; Gow, smith; Roy, red, &c.
Vide, Murray.
A warlike tribe called the Moravii came at an early day from Germany to Scotland, and gave their name to the district now called Moray or Murray. The family name was originally de Moravia, and they are descended from Friskinus de Moravia, temp. David II.
De Moravia. Some deduce this family from a warlike people called the Moravii, who came from Germany into Scotland, and affixed their own nomenclature to that district now called the shire of Moray. The root of the name is the same whether Moravian or Gaelic, and signifies the great, wafer, from mor, great, and an or av, water.
Moray Demographics
Moray Religious Adherence
in Ireland
Religious Adherence
in Ireland
Moray Last Name Facts
Where Does The Last Name Moray Come From? nationality or country of origin
The surname Moray (Hindi: मोरय, Marathi: मोरे, Russian: Морай) is found most in India. It can also be rendered in the variant forms: Móray. Click here for other potential spellings of Moray.
How Common Is The Last Name Moray? popularity and diffusion
This surname is the 94,473rd most widespread surname on earth, held by approximately 1 in 1,444,795 people. Moray is primarily found in Asia, where 51 percent of Moray live; 28 percent live in South Asia and 28 percent live in Indo-South Asia. It is also the 217,752nd most widespread first name world-wide It is held by 1,305 people.
The surname is most commonly held in India, where it is borne by 1,403 people, or 1 in 546,732. In India it is primarily found in: Gujarat, where 61 percent live, Telangana, where 20 percent live and Maharashtra, where 7 percent live. Not including India this last name is found in 56 countries. It is also found in Turkey, where 18 percent live and Paraguay, where 12 percent live.
Moray Family Population Trend historical fluctuation
The frequency of Moray has changed over time. In The United States the number of people carrying the Moray surname expanded 260 percent between 1880 and 2014; in England it expanded 140 percent between 1881 and 2014; in Scotland it expanded 283 percent between 1881 and 2014 and in Ireland it contracted 80 percent between 1901 and 2014.
Moray Last Name Statistics demography
The religious devotion of those holding the Moray last name is chiefly Catholic (100%) in Ireland.
In The United States those bearing the Moray last name are 6.34% more likely to be registered Democrats than the national average, with 59.57% being registered with the political party.
The amount Moray earn in different countries varies significantly. In United States they earn 4.41% more than the national average, earning $45,052 USD per year and in Canada they earn 31.29% more than the national average, earning $65,231 CAD per year.
Phonetically Similar Names
Moray Name Transliterations
| Transliteration | ICU Latin | Percentage of Incidence |
|---|---|---|
| Moray in the Hindi language | ||
| मोरय | moraya | 87.5 |
| मोर्य | morya | 12.5 |
| Moray in the Marathi language | ||
| मोरे | more | 67.65 |
| मोरय | moraya | 32.35 |
| Moray in the Russian language | ||
| Морай | moraj | - |
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Moray Reference & Research
MURRAY FamilyTree DNA Project - A description of a group researching the paternal lines of men who bear the surname with the help of DNA analysis.
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Footnotes
- Surnames are taken as the first part of an person's inherited family name, caste, clan name or in some cases patronymic
- Descriptions may contain details on the name's etymology, origin, ethnicity and history. They are largely reproduced from 3rd party sources; diligence is advised on accepting their validity - more information
- Name distribution statistics are generated from a global database of over 4 billion people - more information
- Heatmap: Dark red means there is a higher occurrence of the name, transitioning to light yellow signifies a progressively lower occurrence. Clicking on selected countries will show mapping at a regional level
- Rank: Name are ranked by incidence using the ordinal ranking method; the name that occurs the most is assigned a rank of 1; name that occur less frequently receive an incremented rank; if two or more name occur the same number of times they are assigned the same rank and successive rank is incremented by the total preceeding names
- Ethnic group cannot necessarily be determined by geographic occurrence
- Similar: Names listed in the "Similar" section are phonetically similar and may not have any relation to Moray
- To find out more about this surname's family history, lookup records on FamilySearch, MyHeritage, FindMyPast and Ancestry. Further information may be obtained by DNA analysis