Contents [hide]

Moorhead History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Sources

Moorhead History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

Etymology of Moorhead

What does the name Moorhead mean?

A family of Strathclyde-Briton were the first to use the name Moorhead. They lived in Lanark, where the family was found since the early Middle Ages. The name denotes "one who came from Muirhead (end of the moor)the name of several places in Scotland; dweller at the end of the marsh." 1 2 3

Early Origins of the Moorhead family

The surname Moorhead was first found in Lanarkshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Lannraig) a former county in the central Strathclyde region of Scotland, now divided into the Council Areas of North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire, and the City of Glasgow. Today, Muirhead is a small suburb of Glasgow, about 7 miles North-East of the city center.

The name originates "from one or other of the many localities of the name in the southern counties, perhaps from Muirhead in the barony of Rothwell. The lands and town of Mureheid in the diocese of Ross are mentioned in 1576, but the surname is not likely to have originated there. The first of the name in record is said to have been Sir William Muirhead of Lachope, end of fourteenth century. Probably the same person as William de Murehede who witnessed a charter of lands of Cranshaws in 1401." 4

Early History of the Moorhead family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Moorhead research. Another 221 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1401, 1432, 1471, 1484, 1491, 1493, 1498, 1503, 1504, 1507, 1513, 1522, 1527, 1577, 1620, 1624, 1637, 1668, 1670, 1691, 1692, 1742, 1805, 1807, 1808, 1825, 1828, 1831, 1854, 1857, 1862, 1863, 1882, 1889 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Moorhead History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Moorhead Spelling Variations

In the era before dictionaries, there were no rules governing the spelling or translation of names or any other words. Consequently, there are an enormous number of spelling variations in Medieval Scottish names. Moorhead has appeared as Muirhead, Morehead, Moorhead, Moorehead, Murehead and others.

Early Notables of the Moorhead family

Notable amongst the family at this time was James Muirhead (1742-1808), Scottish song-writer, son of Muirhead of Logan (representing an ancient family), was born in 1742 in the parish of Buittle, Kirkcudbrightshire. James Muirhead (1831-1889), jurist, son of Claud Muirhead of Gogan Park, Midlothian, proprietor of the 'Edinburgh Advertiser,' born in 1831, was admitted on 31 Oct. 1854 a member of the Inner Temple, where he was called to the bar on 6 June 1857, being admitted a member of the Faculty of Advocates the same year. In 1862 he was elected to the chair of civil law in the university...
Another 172 words (12 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Moorhead Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Moorhead Ranking

In the United States, the name Moorhead is the 8,453^rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 5

Migration of the Moorhead family to Ireland

Some of the Moorhead family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Moorhead migration to the United States +

The freedom, opportunity, and land of the North American colonies beckoned. There, Scots found a place where they were generally free from persecution and where they could go on to become important players in the birth of new nations. Some fought in the American War of Independence, while others went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. The ancestors of all of these Scottish settlers have been able to recover their lost national heritage in the last century through highland games and Clan societies in North America. Among them:

Moorhead Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Bartholomy Moorhead, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1732 6

Moorhead Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Thomas Campbell Moorhead, who arrived in Charleston, South Carolina in 1810 6
John Moorhead, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1811 6
Samuel Moorhead, who landed in New York, NY in 1811 6
Rebecca Moorhead, aged 21, who landed in New York, NY in 1821 6
Robinson Moorhead, who arrived in New York in 1830 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Moorhead Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Annie Moorhead, aged 22, who immigrated to America from Glasgow, in 1900
Cath Moorhead, aged 28, who immigrated to the United States from Liverpool, in 1901
Elizh Moorhead, aged 16, who settled in America from Glasgow, in 1901
Charles Moorhead, aged 21, who landed in America from Tyrone, Ireland, in 1907
Arthur Henry Moorhead, aged 35, who landed in America from London, England, in 1907
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Moorhead migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Moorhead Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Miss Jane Moorhead, (Moorehead, Brien, Morehead), (b. 1820), aged 31, Irish laundress who was convicted in Wicklow, Ireland for 15 years for arson, transported aboard the "Blackfriar" on 24th January 1851, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 7

Moorhead migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Moorhead Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. William Moorhead, (b. 1860), aged 9 months, British settler travelling from Bristol aboard the ship "Matoaka" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 2nd December 1860 8
Mr. David Moorhead, (b. 1839), aged 21, British farm labourer travelling from Bristol aboard the ship "Matoaka" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 2nd December 1860 8
Mrs. Mary Anne Moorhead, (b. 1840), aged 20, British settler travelling from Bristol aboard the ship "Matoaka" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 2nd December 1860 8
Mr. Michael Moorhead, (b. 1836), aged 25, Irish farm labourer, from County Down travelling from London aboard the ship "Sebastopol" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 14th December 1861 9
Miss Mary A. Moorhead, (b. 1840), aged 21, Irish domestic servant, from County Down travelling from London aboard the ship "Sebastopol" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 14th December 1861 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Moorhead (post 1700) +

James Kennedy Moorhead (1806-1884), Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives
Jean Moorhead (b. 1936), American actress and model
William Singer Moorhead (1923-1987), Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives
Don Moorhead (b. 1948), retired American football player
Carlos John Moorhead (b. 1922), United States Congressman
Ethel Moorhead (1870-1955), British suffragette and artist
The Rt Rev William Henry Moorhead DD (1882-1962), Irish-born, Canadian fourth Bishop of Fredericton, New Brunswick
Evan Robert Moorhead (b. 1978), Australian politician
Sherman Moorhead Granger (b. 1870), American Republican politician, Member of Republican National Committee from Ohio, 1912-16; Member of Ohio Republican State Central Committee, 1912-14 10
Moorhead Cowell Kennedy Jr. (1930-2024), American Foreign Service officer who was among 52 Americans held hostage for 444 days during the Iran hostage crisis

The Moorhead Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Auxilio Dei
Motto Translation: By the help of God.

Sources +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Sims, Clifford Stanley The Origin and Signification of Scottish Surnames. 1862. Print.
Dixon, Bernard Homer, Surnames. London: John Wilson and son, 1857. Print
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 13th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/blackfriar
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 2) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html