MUIR HAS THREE VARIATIONS OF MEANING:
LARGE OR BIG IN GAELIC
A MOOR OR HEATH IN MIDDLE ENGLISH,
BY THE SEA IN PICTISH

THE SURNAME IS FOUND ALL OVER SCOTLAND, ESPECIALLY WEST CENTRAL SCOTLAND AND IN THE ORKNEY ISLANDS WHERE IT IS ONE OF THE TOP 10 COMMONLY USED NAMES. IN 1995, MOORE AND MUIR TAKEN TOGETHER WAS THE 24th MOST FREQUENT SURNAME AT THE SCOTTISH REGISTRY OFFICE.

THE VARIANT SPELLINGS ARE COMMONLY FOUND IN THESE AREAS:

MUIR - MOST COMMON IN AYRSHIRE AND AREAS SOUTHWEST
MORE/MOORE/MURE - MOST COMMON IN THE HIGHLANDS
MOAR - MOST COMMON IN THE ORKNEY AND SHETLAND
MOIR - MOST COMMON IN ABERDEENSHIRE AND SOUTHWEST
MOHR - MOST COMMON IN CENTRAL LOWLANDS
MOR - MOST COMMON IN CENTRAL LOWLANDS
O'MORE - MOST COMMON IN IRELAND

367 A.D. - FERGUS MOR, FROM IRELAND, INVADES SCOTLAND DEFEATS THE ROMANS AND BECOMES THE FIRST KING OF DALRIADA, ONE OF THE 4 PRINCEDOMS THAT EVENTUALLY FORM INTO SCOTLAND.

1071 - WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR INVADES SCOTLAND

1072 - KING MALCOLM OF SCOTLAND CAPITULATES TO WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR

1200's: CHIEF FAMILY OF THE NAME=MURES OF ROWALLAN, AYRSHIRE

1214-1249 - IN THE REIGN OF KING ALEXANDER II, DAVID DE MORE WITNESSED A CHARTER IN AYRSHIRE

1291 - DE LA MORE, SURNAME FOUND IN AREA OF CONYNGHAM THOMAS DE LA MORE WAS EXECUTOR OF THE WILL OF DERVORGUILLA (DEVORGILLA), MOTHER OF KING JOHN BALLIOL

1296 - KING EDWARD I OF ENGLAND CONQUERS SCOTLAND RAGMAN'S ROLL OF SCOTTISH NOBLES: SEVERAL OF THE NAME (MUIR) RENDER HOMAGES 1) DOVENAL LE FIZ MICHEL MORE DE LEVENACHES 2) ADAM DE LA MORE OF COUNTY AYR 3) REGINALD (RENAUD) DEL MORE OF COUNTY AYR 4) GILCRIST MORE OF AYRSHIRE 5) REYNAUD MOR OF CRAGG' OF LANARKSHIRE 6) SYMON DE LA MOORE OF THANGARSTONE (THANKERTON)

1296 - ADAM DE LA MORE AND WILLIAM DE LA MORE WERE JURORS ON THE LANDS OF LADY ELENA LA ZUCHE IN CONYNGHAM

1296 - SIR ARCHIBALD MUIR FOUGHT AT THE SIEGE OF BERWICK AND WAS KILLED WHEN THE TOWN WAS SACKED BY EDWARD I'S ARMY AND BALLIOL'S ARMY ROUTED. HIS SON AND SUCCESSOR, SIR WILLIAM MUIR WAS KNIGHTED BY DAVID II. AROUND 1357, HE SENT ONE OF HIS SONS AS HOSTAGE TO ENGLAND FOR THE RANSOM OF THE KING.

GILCRIST MORE - INCURRED THE WRATH OF SIR WALTER CUMYN BUT LATER MARRIED HIS DAUGHTER AND SECURED THE LANDS OF ROWALLAN CASTLE NEAR KILMARNOCK IN AYRSHIRE. HIS GRANDDAUGHTER, ELIZABETH MURE OF ROWALLAN, MARRIES THE FUTURE KING ROBERT II IN 1346.

1200'S - A MUIR HEIRESSES LANDS IN FIFE PASS TO THE LESLIES THROUGH A MARRIAGE TO A LESLIE CHIEF.

1306 - ROBERT THE BRUCE CROWNED AT SCONE.

1314 - BATTLE OF BANNOCKBURN:SCOTS UNDER ROBERT THE BRUCE DEFEAT ENGLISH.

1315-1321 - ADE MORE HELD LANDS OF BELTONE IN BERWICKSHIRE

1317-1400's - NAME OF MUIR/MOORE SPREADS WIDELY IN AREA WHERE THE NORSE LANGUAGE WAS STILL SPOKEN, PREDOMINANTLY IN THE ORKNEYS AND SHETLAND.

1317 - ROBERTUS MORE BECAME A BURGESS OF ABERDEEN.

1328 - ENGLISH RECOGNIZE SCOTTISH INDEPENDENCE.

1328-1329 - SIR ADAM MORE (KNIGHT) WITNESSED CHARTERS BY ROBERT THE BRUCE.

1329 - ROBERT THE BRUCE DIES. HIS SON BECOMES KING DAVID II OF SCOTLAND. SIR WILLIAM MUIR KNIGHTED BY DAVID II. AROUND 1357, SIR WILLIAM SENDS ONE OF HIS SONS AS HOSTAGE TO ENGLAND FOR THE RANSOM OF THE RING.

1346 - ELIZABETH MURE OF ROWALLAN, DAUGHTER OF SIR ADAM MURE AND JOANNA (JANET) DANZIELSTOUR, MARRIES ROBERT THE BRUCE'S GRANDSON, AND FUTURE KING, ROBERT II. ROBERT IS THE SON OF ROBERT THE BRUCE'S DAUGHTER, MARJORIE BRUCE, AND WALTER STEWART, THE HIGH STEWARD OF SCOTLAND, A HEREDITARY TITLE. FROM THIS UNION COMES THE STUART KINGS/QUEENS OF SCOTLAND AND ENGLAND AND, THROUGH THE MARRIAGE OF ELIZADETH'S AND RQBERT'S DAUGHTER, JEAN (JOANNA), TO SIR JOHN LYON, THANE OF GLAMIS (1372 by ROBERT II), ARE DESCENDED THE EARLS OF STRATHMORE AND KINGHORNE AND THE QUEEN MOTHER, ELIZABETH, AND HER MAJESTY, QUEEN ELIZABETH II.

1369 - ADAM OF MWRE WAS A JUROR ON AN INQUEST IN KIRKWALL.

1376 - MARRIAGE OF ELIZABETH OF ROWALLAN AND ROBERT STEWART'S DAUGHTER, JEAN (JOANNA) TO JOHN LYON, CREATED THANE OF GLAMIS BY ROBERT II, FROM WHOM ARE DESCENDED THE EARLS OF STRATHMORE AND KINGHORNE AND, ELIZABETH, THE QUEEN MOTHER, AND H.M., QUEEN ELIZABETH II.

1458 - JOHANNES MUIR HELD A TENEMENT IN GLASGOW.

1460 - JOHN MUR OF ENEROTHYLL RECORDED AS A WITNESS IN AYR.

1469-1470 - JOHN MUR (MUIR) WAS VICAR GENERAL OF THE PREDICANT ORDER IN SCOTLAND (Friars Ayr)

1526 - PATRICK MUR OF CLONCARD, FOLLOWER OF THE EARL OF CASSILIS, WAS RESPITED FOR MURDER.

1541 - MATHOW MYRRE WAS FORSPEAKER (ADVOCATE) FOR JOHN MYRRE.

1543 - MUNGO MUIR SUPPORTED HIS RELATIVE, THE REGENT ARRAN, DURING THE MINORITY RULE OF MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS, AND FOUGHT FOR HIM AT GLASCOW IN 1543. HE CARRIED OUT SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS TO THE CASTLE OF ROWALLAN BEFORE BEING KILLED AT THE BATTLE OF PINKIE IN 1547.

1547 - FAMILY EMBRACED THE NEW REFORMED RELIGION AND BECAME OPPONENTS OF MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS.

1600's - PERSECUTED AS COVENANTERS

1638 - SCOTS RALLY AROUND NATIONAL COVENANT. SIR WILLIAM MURE OF ROWALLAN, COVENANTER, & SONS AND * DAUGHTERS.

1662 - YOUNGEST SON OF SIR WILLIAM MUIR CREATED BARONET OF NOVA SCOTIA.

1700 - LAST ACKNOWLEDGED LAIRD OF THE CLAN DIES WITHOUT A MALE HEIR, LEAVING CLAN WITHOUT A LEADER. CLAN FRAGMENTS AND SEEKS THE PROTECTION OF BY LARGER CLANS BY BEING ABSORBED AS A SEPT. MUIRS IMMIGRATE TO AMERICA, AUSTRALIA, CANADA.

1746 - BATTLE OF CULLODEN.

1760 - ISOBELL MOOR OF CARLETON (KIRKCUDBRIGHT) RECORDED.

1770 - A LINE OF MUIR WITH A COMMON DESCENT FROM c. 1770 IS LINKED TO CLAN GRANT. OTHERS LINKED WITH LESLIE FROM A MARRIAGE IN 13th CENTURY. ALSO ABSORBED BY GORDONS, CAMPEELLS, DONALDS, AND STEWARTS.

1794 - THOMAS MUIR OF HUNTERSHILL, ADVOCATE AND REFORMER, WAS TRANSPORTED TO AUSTRALIA BY LEGAL SYSTEM CONCERNED THAT HIS SUPPORT FOR THE FRENCH REVOLUTION MIGHT TAKE ROOT.

1809 - SIR JOHN MUIR, MILITARY COMMANDER, FOUGHT AGAINST NAPOLEON AND FELL AT THE BATTLE OF CORUNNA IN SPAIN , 18 0 9 .

1830-1906 - ALEXANDER MUIR, BORN IN LESMAHAGOW, IMMIGRATES TO CANADA AS A CHILD. WRITES SONG, "THE MAPLE LEAF FOREVER."

1838-1914 - JOHN MUIR BORN AT DUNBAR,1838, IMMIGRATES WITH PARENTS TO UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 184 9, AND LIVES NEAR PORTAGE WISCONSIN. ATTENDS UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN, BUT DOES NOT GRADUATE, 1860-1863. PUBLISHES "THOUSAND MILE WALK TO THE GULF," 1867. GOES TO YOSEMITE VALLEY IN CALIFORNIA, EXPLORES, STUDIES AREA FOR 6 YEARS, 1868. BECOMES NATURALIST, EXPLORER, WRITER OF MANY BOOKS AND JOURNALS, AND FIRST ADVOCATE OF FOREST CONSERVATION IN THE U.S.A.. RESPONSIBLE FOR ESTABLISHMENT OF THE YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK AND HE WAS THE FIRST PRESIDENT OF SIERRA CLUB.

CLAN MUIR RESURGENCE BEGINS CLAN MUIR SOCIETY FORMED BY KURT MOORE. KURT MOORE ELECTED PRESIDENT OF SOCIETY, HAZEL (MOORE) RAE ELECTED VICE-PRESIDENT OF SOCIETY, BRENT MOORE ELECTED TREASURER OF SOCIETY. ANDREW MOORE OF AYRSHIRE ELECTED CHIEF OF THE HOUSE OF MUIR BY THE MEMBERS OF THE CLAN. GUARDIANS OF THE CLAN MUIR APPOINTED BY CHIEF ANDREW: KURT MOORE, ANDREW NEIL MOORE, HAZEL MOORE RAE. CONVENERS FOR THE CLAN MUIR APPOINTED BY ANDREW MOORE: IN UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: BRENT MOORE, ROBERT MORE, ROGER MOORE, ASHLYNN MOORE, JOHN MOORE, SENIOR, JANN MUIR RAVENHAWK, CAROL MUIR FAUSTER, JOHN PAETH.