Murial
Of Celtic origin, meaning "child of the sea".
Name Census estimates that about 25 living Americans carry the first name Murial. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Murial today is around 78 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Murial births was 1920 (12 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Murial. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Murial is about 78 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Murials were born before 1958.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Murial. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
25
~ 1 in 13,710,174 Americans
Peak year
1920
12 babies that year
Average age
78
years old
1966 SSA rank
#6,328
Tracked since 1901
Popularity
Murial: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Murial from the 1900s through to the 1960s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 81 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Murial by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Murial during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Murial
The name Murial is a variant spelling of the more common name Muriel, which has its origins in the ancient Greek language. The name Muriel is derived from the Greek word "myrrha," which means "myrrh," a fragrant resin used in ancient times for incense and perfumes.
In the early Christian era, the name Muriel gained popularity as a reference to the Virgin Mary, who is often associated with myrrh in the biblical accounts of Jesus' birth and death. The name was particularly common among French and English families during the Middle Ages.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Muriel can be found in the 12th century French epic poem "The Song of Roland," where a character named Muriel is mentioned. This suggests that the name was in use in France during that time period.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Murial or its variant spellings. Muriel de Ghivry (c. 1210-1285) was a French noblewoman and benefactress of religious orders. Muriel Spark (1918-2006) was a renowned Scottish novelist and poet, known for her satirical and darkly humorous works.
Muriel Rukeyser (1913-1980) was an American poet and political activist who advocated for social justice and women's rights. Muriel Siebert (1928-2013) was a trailblazing American businesswoman and the first woman to own a seat on the New York Stock Exchange.
Muriel Duckworth (1908-2009) was a Canadian activist and pacifist who campaigned for social and environmental causes throughout her long life. These are just a few examples of the many influential individuals who have carried the name Murial or its variants over the centuries.
People
Murial + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Murial as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Murial: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Murial?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 25 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Murial going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 13,710,174 US residents.
Is Murial a common name?
We classify Murial as "Very Rare". It ranks above 43.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 207 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Murial most popular?
The single biggest year for Murial was 1920, when 12 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Murial is about 78 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Murial a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Murial in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.