Muriel
Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic Muireall, from muir (“sea”), from Old Irish muir, from Proto-Celtic *mori, from Proto-Indo-European *móri; + geal (“white, bright”)…
Every Muriel since 1880 — 55,646 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Muriel
Muriel is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #4,430 in 2025 with 32 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 55,646 American babies have been named Muriel. Its peak came in 1922, when 2,407 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1920s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Muriel stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Muriel year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 32 | #4,430 | — | — |
| 2024 | 50 | #3,210 | — | — |
| 2023 | 27 | #4,956 | — | — |
| 2022 | 22 | #5,753 | — | — |
| 2021 | 19 | #6,334 | — | — |
| 2020 | 20 | #6,014 | — | — |
| 2019 | 20 | #6,117 | — | — |
| 2018 | 19 | #6,436 | — | — |
| 2017 | 26 | #5,144 | — | — |
| 2016 | 21 | #6,124 | — | — |
| 2015 | 28 | #4,943 | — | — |
| 2014 | 30 | #4,735 | — | — |
| 2013 | 15 | #8,045 | — | — |
| 2012 | 16 | #7,694 | — | — |
| 2011 | 21 | #6,277 | — | — |
| 2010 | 22 | #6,117 | — | — |
| 2009 | 20 | #6,738 | — | — |
| 2008 | 31 | #4,842 | — | — |
| 2007 | 30 | #4,904 | — | — |
| 2006 | 33 | #4,432 | — | — |
| 2005 | 27 | #4,918 | — | — |
| 2004 | 27 | #4,906 | — | — |
| 2003 | 30 | #4,387 | — | — |
| 2002 | 38 | #3,568 | — | — |
| 2001 | 30 | #4,169 | — | — |
| 2000 | 32 | #3,953 | — | — |
| 1995 | 37 | #3,139 | — | — |
| 1990 | 37 | #3,056 | — | — |
| 1985 | 38 | #2,578 | — | — |
| 1980 | 51 | #2,057 | — | — |
| 1975 | 55 | #1,723 | — | — |
| 1970 | 76 | #1,381 | — | — |
| 1965 | 108 | #1,007 | — | — |
| 1960 | 168 | #792 | — | — |
| 1955 | 245 | #587 | 6 | #3,764 |
| 1950 | 330 | #445 | 8 | #2,951 |
| 1945 | 390 | #349 | 6 | #3,215 |
| 1940 | 581 | #258 | 22 | #1,457 |
| 1935 | 797 | #215 | 17 | #1,740 |
| 1930 | 1,341 | #155 | 32 | #1,270 |
| 1925 | 2,215 | #126 | 33 | #1,275 |
| 1920 | 2,071 | #123 | 18 | #1,938 |
| 1915 | 1,445 | #134 | 8 | #2,987 |
| 1910 | 365 | #187 | — | — |
| 1905 | 186 | #230 | — | — |
| 1900 | 224 | #211 | — | — |
| 1895 | 108 | #272 | — | — |
| 1890 | 58 | #336 | — | — |
| 1885 | 26 | #410 | — | — |
| 1880 | 7 | #719 | — | — |
Famous people named Muriel
- Muriel Spark Writer · 1918–2006
- Muriel Barbery Writer · b. 1969
- Muriel Robb Tennis player · 1878–1907
- Muriel Casals i Couturier Economist · 1945–2016
- Muriel Humphrey Brown Politician · 1912–1998
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Muriel mean?
Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic Muireall, from muir (“sea”), from Old Irish muir, from Proto-Celtic *mori, from Proto-Indo-European *móri; + geal (“white, bright”), from Old Irish gel, from Proto-Celtic *gelos (“yellow,…
How popular is the name Muriel in 2025?
Muriel ranked #4,430 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 32 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Muriel?
55,646 babies have been named Muriel in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Muriel most popular?
Muriel peaked in 1922, when 2,407 newborns received the name.
Is Muriel a boy or girl name?
Muriel is overwhelmingly a girl's name — 99% of babies with the name.
Is the name Muriel rising or falling?
Muriel is on the rise — noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Muriel?
Well-known people named Muriel include Muriel Spark (writer), Muriel Barbery (writer), Muriel Robb (tennis player).