Holding steady.
Popularity of Murrel since 1898
Babies named Murrel per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1922, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Murrel's real moment was 1898.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls | Boys |
|---|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 | 5 |
| 1900s | 7 | 5 |
| 1910s | 68 | 146 |
| 1920s | 79 | 246 |
| 1930s | 35 | 155 |
| 1940s | 0 | 92 |
| 1950s | 0 | 66 |
| 1960s | 0 | 16 |
| 1970s | 0 | 5 |
| 1980s | 0 | 0 |
| 1990s | 0 | 0 |
| 2000s | 0 | 0 |
| 2010s | 0 | 0 |
| 2020s | 0 | 0 |
Meaning & origin
Murrel stands as a name that has never broken into the social security top 1000, its recorded use beginning in 1898 and peaking in that same year. The name has maintained a stable, nearly invisible presence, never surpassing a few dozen births per decade, and after the 1890s its use dwindled to negligible numbers. With no top states associated, it remains a true rarity, likely carried by only a handful of individuals across the entire 20th century. Its origins are uncertain, possibly a diminutive of Muriel or a reshaped surname, giving it an obscure charm for those seeking a genuinely unusual name. The trajectory shows no signs of revival, making it a name that embodies historical rarity without modern resurgence.
Murrel is a rare given name that likely emerged from the English surname Murrell. The surname itself may be a variant of Muriel, derived from the Gaelic elements "muir" (sea) and "geal" (bright), or an Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Muirghil (descendant of Muirgeil). As a first name, it has seen very limited use, primarily in the United States during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Nicknames & variants
Sibling names for Murrel
Names that share Murrel's style, for a brother or sister.
