Murrill
Of English origin, indicating a person from the Murrill family line.
Name Census estimates that about 2 living Americans carry the first name Murrill. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Murrill today is around 93 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Murrill births was 1931 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Murrill. 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 Murrill is about 93 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Murrills were born before 1943.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Murrill. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
2
~ 1 in 171,377,169 Americans
Peak year
1931
5 babies that year
Average age
93
years old
1938 SSA rank
#3,878
Tracked since 1931
Popularity
Murrill: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Murrill 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 Murrill during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1930s | 10 | 0 | 10 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Murrill
The name Murrill is believed to have originated from the Old English word "mor" meaning marsh or fen, combined with the Old French suffix "-ill" which denotes a diminutive form. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near or worked in a marshy area or small fen.
In the early Middle Ages, the name Murrill was predominantly found in regions of England where Anglo-Saxon and Norman French influences converged, such as the counties of Essex, Suffolk, and Norfolk. Variations in spelling, like Morrill, Morrell, and Murrell, were also common during this period due to the lack of standardized spellings.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Murrill can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as a surname. This suggests that the name had already gained some recognition and usage by the late 11th century in England.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Murrill. One such person was William Murrill (c. 1617-1703), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the rector of Hampstead from 1658 until his death. He was known for his extensive library and contributions to the study of ancient manuscripts.
Another prominent figure was Thomas Murrill (1779-1853), an American politician and lawyer who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania from 1827 to 1829.
In the field of natural sciences, William Alphonso Murrill (1869-1957) was an American mycologist and botanist who made significant contributions to the study of fungi, particularly those found in the Caribbean region.
John Murrill (1924-1989) was a British artist and painter known for his abstract expressionist works, which explored themes of landscape and nature. His paintings are part of several notable collections, including the Tate Gallery in London.
Finally, Murrill Somers (1915-1994) was an American actress and dancer who appeared in several Broadway musicals and films during the 1940s and 1950s, including the 1949 movie "On the Town."
People
Murrill + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Murrill 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
Murrill: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Murrill?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 2 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Murrill 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 171,377,169 US residents.
Is Murrill a common name?
We classify Murrill as "Very Rare". It ranks above 4.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 10 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Murrill most popular?
The single biggest year for Murrill was 1931, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Murrill is about 93 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Murrill in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Murrill a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Murrill 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.
Is Murrill still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Murrill in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Murrill can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Murrill?
See how many people share the name Murrill on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.