Chiefly from Ó Muireadhaigh, ‘lord’ or ‘mariner’ — though the same name also arrived separately with Scottish settlers from Moray.
Gaelic Origin (with a Scottish namesake) · Root name Muireadhach
Murray most often descends from Muireadhach, built on muir (‘sea’) and read as ‘lord’ or ‘mariner’ — the Ó Muireadhaigh held territory in Roscommon among other septs. In Ulster, some Murrays instead trace to Scottish settlers from the region of Moray, an honest second root worth naming rather than glossing over.
Two very different journeys landing on the same page — which one is yours often comes down to which corner of Ireland your family called home.
Irish form: Ó Muireadhaigh
