Find out how popular the last name Muriel is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Muriel.

Muriel, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Muriel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Muriel in America

Muriel is the 16238th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Muriel surname appeared 1,778 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Muriel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Muriel to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Muriel

The surname Muriel has its origins in Northern France, specifically the region of Normandy. It dates back to the Middle Ages, believed to have derived from the Old French word "murier," meaning "mulberry tree." This connection suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near or worked with mulberry trees.

In the 11th century, the name Muriel appeared in the famous Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landowners and properties commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This early mention indicates that the surname was already established in Normandy before the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Muriel was Robert Muriel, a Norman knight who accompanied William the Conqueror to England during the invasion. He was granted lands in Essex and is mentioned in the Domesday Book as a tenant-in-chief.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, including Murielle, Muriel, and Murriel, reflecting the variations in spelling common during that time. One notable bearer was Sir Thomas Muriel, a Scottish nobleman who fought alongside William Wallace in the Wars of Scottish Independence against England in the late 13th century.

During the 14th century, the surname Muriel spread across Europe, with bearers recorded in France, England, and Germany. One famous individual was Jean Muriel, a French philosopher and theologian who taught at the University of Paris in the early 1300s.

In the 15th century, the surname Muriel gained prominence in England, with several notable figures emerging. One was Sir John Muriel, a wealthy merchant and landowner in London, who served as Lord Mayor of the city in 1476. Another was William Muriel, a prominent clergyman who became the Bishop of Norwich in 1457.

Throughout the following centuries, the surname Muriel continued to be found across Europe, particularly in France, England, and Scotland. Notable bearers include François Muriel, a French composer and musician who lived in the 17th century, and James Muriel, a Scottish writer and philosopher born in 1718.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Muriel

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Muriel.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Muriel was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Muriel has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Muriel was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Muriel, please contact us.

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