Munro Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Munro last name means, where the surname began and where it was first recorded.
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Meaning and origin of the Munro last name
Meaning of the Munro last name: traditionally "man from the Roe". Munro is a Highland name traditionally explained as Gaelic Bun Rotha, "mouth of the Roe", after a family said to have crossed over from the Roe valley in County Derry. The Munros of Foulis, whose seat was Foulis Castle near Evanton, held land on the northern shore of the Cromarty Firth in Easter Ross from the 14th century. Many Munros served as soldiers in the Thirty Years' War, especially in the Scottish regiments of Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden in the 1620s and 1630s. The surname is still most common in Ross-shire, Sutherland and Inverness-shire. Variant spellings include Monro and Monroe, the latter usual in America, and the American president James Monroe descended from a Scottish emigrant. Munro families also emigrated to Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Our historical archives hold much more on the Munro name: dates, names and records of early bearers.
This overview covers the Munro name in Scotland. We also hold records of the name in other countries, such as the United States, Canada and Australia; your full pack is researched for your family's country of origin.
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The researched Munro pack traces meaning, early bearers and migration routes, and includes a personalized Munro coat of arms.
Munro name FAQ
What does the Munro name mean?
Traditionally "man from the Roe". Common variants include Munroe, Monroe, Monro.
Where does the Munro surname come from?
It originates in Scotland, and is also found in the United States, Canada and Australia.
Is there a Munro coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals, not whole surnames, so there is no single Munro crest. Herald Lab paints a personalized Munro coat of arms based on historic heraldry.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: George F. Black, The Surnames of Scotland (New York Public Library, 1946); Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).