Muriel

Muriel: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning: “bright sea”
Origin: Celtic
Say it: MYUR-ee-uhl · 3 syllables
Used for: Girls

From a Celtic name, often traced to Irish Muirgel, combining elements for 'sea' and 'bright'. It was revived in English in the 19th century.

Irish names Scottish names English names Names meaning sea Names meaning light Vintage names Classic names

How popular is Muriel?

202415.0 per million US babies

Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Compare with another name

Babies named Muriel in 202450

2024 rank#3,166 girls

Peak year1922

Total US babies since 188055,614

Muriel is steady now but far below its 1922 peak.

Names like Muriel

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

Briannahigh; noble; exalted · Celtic
Sabrinafrom the River Severn · Celtic
Brianahigh, noble · Celtic
Imogenmaiden · Celtic
Avalonisland of apples · Celtic
Bridgetteexalted one · Celtic
Breahill · Celtic
Bryanahigh, noble · Celtic

Muriel questions

What does the name Muriel mean?

Muriel means "bright sea". It comes from Celtic. From a Celtic name, often traced to Irish Muirgel, combining elements for 'sea' and 'bright'. It was revived in English in the 19th century.

Is Muriel a boy or girl name?

Muriel is mainly a girl's name in US records (99% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Muriel?

50 US babies were named Muriel in 2024. Its peak year was 1922.

How do you pronounce Muriel?

Muriel is usually pronounced MYUR-ee-uhl.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.