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

Murriel, 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 Murriel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Murriel in America

Murriel is the 76768th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Murriel surname appeared 250 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Murriel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Murriel 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 Murriel

The surname Murriel has its origins in the northern regions of Spain, dating back to the early medieval period, around the 9th or 10th century. It is believed to be derived from the Latin word "muralis," meaning "of walls" or "fortified," suggesting that the name may have been associated with individuals involved in the construction or maintenance of fortifications or those residing within walled cities or settlements.

One of the earliest known references to the name Murriel can be found in the Codex Calixtinus, a 12th-century manuscript detailing the life and miracles of St. James the Great. This document mentions a certain "Rodrigo Murriel," who is believed to have been a nobleman from the Kingdom of León.

During the 13th century, the Murriel surname appeared in various records and chronicles from the region of Castile. One notable figure was Pedro Murriel, a military commander who fought alongside King Alfonso VIII of Castile in the decisive Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa against the Almohad Caliphate in 1212.

In the 15th century, the name Murriel was associated with the town of Muriel de la Fuente, located in the province of Soria, Castile and León. This suggests a potential connection between the surname and this particular place name, which may have contributed to the surname's evolution and dispersal.

Throughout the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the surname Murriel. One example is Alonso Murriel de Valdivia (1505-1582), a Spanish conquistador who played a significant role in the conquest of Chile and the establishment of the city of Santiago de Chile.

Another prominent figure was María Murriel (1670-1740), a Spanish author and playwright from Madrid, known for her contributions to the Golden Age of Spanish literature. Her works, including plays and poetry, were widely acclaimed during her lifetime.

In the 19th century, Juan Murriel (1821-1898), a Spanish politician and diplomat, served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Spain during the reign of King Alfonso XII.

While the surname Murriel is not among the most common in Spain today, it maintains a rich historical legacy, rooted in the medieval period and spanning various regions of the Iberian Peninsula.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Murriel

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

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

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

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