My last name is murray, is it irish, scotch-irish? thank you?

Question:

My last name is murray, is it irish, scotch-irish? thank you?

information I look at tells me that murray is a Scotch-Irish name but my great grand parents were catholics that immigated from Donegal county in Ireland. Could the name have been changed? I have heard it could have been Mcmurray at one time. thank you.

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I found two different origins for the name Murray

IRISH
The murray surname in Ireland is an Anglicization of two different Gaelic names: O Muireadhaigh, and Mac Muireadhaigh.

Spelling variations of this family name include: O'Murry, Murray and others.

First found in county Roscommon where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: John McMurray, one of the Scotch-Irish, who settled in Charles Town S.C. in 1772; Alex McMurray, who came to New York city in 1811; John McMurray, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1818.

SCOTTISH
The members of the current generation of the murray family have inherited a name that was first used hundreds of years ago by the people of the ancient Scottish tribe called the Picts. The murray family lived in the county of Moray in the northeast of Scotland.

Spelling variations of this family name include: Murray, Murrey, Moray, Morey, Morrey, Morry, Murry and many more.

First found in Moray where they were seated 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.

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Andrew, Anne, Archibald, Bernard, Catherine, Charles, Daniel, Denis, Edward, George, Henry, Hugh, James, John, Martin, Michael, Patrick, Peter, Robert, Thomas and William Murray who all arrived in Philadelphia between 1800 and 1870. In Newfoundland, James Murray was in possession of property and was a fisherman of St. John's in 1784.

The Irish one contains mention of the McMurray name that you mention so I am guessing that it is Irish. Hope one of these is helpful to you :-)