Murl
A feminine name derived from the English word "murmur".
Name Census estimates that about 537 living Americans carry the first name Murl. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 75.6% of registrations being male. The average person named Murl today is around 76 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Murl births was 1924 (84 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Murl. 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 Murl is about 76 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Murls were born before 1960.
People living today
537
~ 1 in 638,276 Americans
Peak year
1924
84 babies that year
Average age
76
years old
1983 SSA rank
#5,903
Tracked since 1885
Gender
Gender distribution for Murl
Murl is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 2,567 total registrations, 1,941 (75.6%) were male and 626 (24.4%) were female.
Murl as a male name
- Ranked #6,971 in 1983
- 5 male births in 1983
- Peak: 1919 (65 births)
Murl as a female name
- Ranked #5,903 in 1958
- 6 female births in 1958
- Peak: 1918 (29 births)
Popularity
Murl: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Murl from the 1880s through to the 1980s, spanning 11 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 712 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
Murl 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 Murl during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Murls live
The SSA's state-level files cover 12 states and territories. Oklahoma, Missouri, Texas recorded the most babies named Murl, while Michigan, Louisiana, Iowa recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 33 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Murl
The name Murl is believed to have originated from the Old English word "myrl," which means "to wander." This suggests that the name may have been given to individuals who were known for their adventurous spirits or nomadic lifestyles. Alternatively, some sources indicate that Murl could be a variation of the name "Merle," which has French and German roots and means "blackbird."
In terms of historical references, the name Murl does not appear to have been widely used or documented in ancient texts or religious scriptures. However, there are a few notable individuals throughout history who bore this name.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Murl is Murl Landrum, an American baseball player who played for the St. Louis Cardinals in the early 20th century. He was born in 1887 and played professionally from 1909 to 1912.
Another individual with the name Murl was Murl Deusing, an American author and playwright who lived from 1905 to 1981. He is best known for his play "The Butter and Egg Man," which was produced on Broadway in 1925.
In the realm of politics, Murl Edmonson was a prominent figure in the Democratic Party in Oklahoma. He served as the Democratic National Committeeman for Oklahoma from 1952 to 1972 and played a significant role in shaping the party's agenda during that time.
Murl Mundy, born in 1920, was an American businessman and philanthropist. He co-founded the Mundy Companies, a successful real estate development firm, and was known for his charitable contributions to various organizations in his home state of Texas.
Lastly, Murl Gwynn was an American artist and educator who lived from 1919 to 2014. He was a renowned painter and printmaker, and his works are featured in numerous museum collections across the United States.
While the name Murl may not have a rich or well-documented history, these individuals have left their mark on various fields, contributing to the legacy of this unique and uncommon name.
People
Murl + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Murl 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
Murl: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Murl?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 537 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Murl 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 638,276 US residents.
Is Murl a common name?
We classify Murl as "Very Rare". It ranks above 85.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,567 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Murl most popular?
The single biggest year for Murl was 1924, when 84 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Murl is about 76 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Murl a male name?
Yes, 75.6% of people registered as Murl in the SSA data are male. 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.