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

Murrell, 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 Murrell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Murrell in America

Murrell is the 3185th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Murrell surname appeared 11,347 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Murrell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Murrell 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 Murrell

The surname Murrell is believed to have originated in England, with roots dating back to the 12th century. It is thought to have derived from the Old French word "murier," meaning mulberry tree, suggesting that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near or worked with mulberry trees.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Murrell can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, where a person named Richard Murel is mentioned. The variant spelling "Murel" was common in early records, and it wasn't until later that the spelling "Murrell" became more prevalent.

In the 13th century, the surname Murrell appeared in various historical documents, including the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which recorded a William Muryel. This spelling variation further reinforces the connection to the Old French word "murier."

During the 14th century, the Murrell surname emerged in several regions of England, including Yorkshire, where a John Muryell was documented in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. This suggests that the name had spread to different parts of the country by that time.

One notable figure bearing the Murrell surname was Sir John Murrell, a prominent English landowner and Member of Parliament who lived from 1535 to 1601. He served as Sheriff of Wiltshire in 1587 and represented Wiltshire in the House of Commons during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Another individual of historical significance was Thomas Murrell, an English clergyman and academic who lived from 1609 to 1670. He was a fellow of New College, Oxford, and served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford from 1665 to 1666.

In the 18th century, the Murrell surname was associated with several notable individuals, including John Murrell (1718-1777), a British physician and writer who published works on medical topics, and Nathaniel Murrell (1738-1822), an English Baptist minister and author.

Moving into the 19th century, one prominent figure with the Murrell surname was William Murrell (1835-1917), a British physician and pioneering advocate for the use of hypnosis in medical treatment. He published several works on the subject and was a founding member of the Society for the Study of Hypnosis.

Throughout history, the Murrell surname has maintained a presence across various regions of England, with records indicating families bearing this name in counties such as Somerset, Wiltshire, Oxfordshire, and Yorkshire, among others.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Murrell

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

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 Murrell 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 Murrell 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 Murrell was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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