Muriel
About Muriel
Once a poetic Celtic name, that of the angel who governs the month of June, Muriel has for a time, become the mom or grandma of TV sitcoms. A Top 200 name from 1912 to 1933, Muriel might just be due for a comeback, fitting as it does with the likes of Margot, Mabel, Marjorie, and Marilyn.
Traditionally written as Muirgel in Old Irish, it was also common in Medieval England (often in the form of Merial) and while it did see a decline after the Norman Conquest, it didn't disappear completely. The Muriel form remained familiar in Scotland and was eventually brought back to England in the 1850s, following its appearance in Dinah Craik's novel, John Halifax, Gentleman.
Muriel has further literary cred via Edinburgh-born author Muriel Spark, author of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie and also appears as a character in l. M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables, in George Orwell's Animal Farm, and in Anne Tyler's The Accidental Tourist.
Ultimately derived from the Old Irish elements muir and gel, Muriel is an water-inspired choice meaning "sea bright" or "bright sea". Distinctive in sound (MYURE-ee-uhl in English; MUE-RHYEL in French), Muriel was given to 50 girls in the US in a recent count: the highest number recorded since the 80s!
As of October 2026, Muriel ranked #4430 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #112 in 1922, Nameberry popularity #734.
Editor's take: The name Muriel is a girl's name of Irish origin meaning "of the bright sea, sea-bright".
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank | Births | Per million |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #4,735 | 30 | 16.8 |
| 2015 | #4,943 | 28 | 15.7 |
| 2016 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | #4,954 | 27 | 16.8 |
| 2024 | #3,198 | 50 | 30.9 |
| 2025 | #4,430 | 32 | 19.9 |
World rankings
Similar names
These 20 names were selected by our users looking for other names like Muriel.
- Rhoda
- Selma
- Augustine
- Tilda
- Babette
- Robine
- Berenice
- Eunice
- Viktorie
- Rosamond
- Edwina
- Thelma
- Thomasin
- Hedwig
- Shoshanna
- Clemence
- Magdalen
- Zipporah
- Gwendoline
- Emmanuelle
Muriel on lists
Famous Muriels
- Muriel Sarah Spark
Scottish novelist
- (Violette) Muriel Box
English screenwriter and director
- Muriel Faye "Mickie" Siebert
American financier; first woman to own a seat on the New York Stock Exchange
- Muriel Rukeyser
American poet
- Muriel Day
Northern Irish singer
- Muriel Elizabeth Bowser
American politician; mayor of the District of Columbia
- Muriel Irene McBrien Kauffman
American philanthropist; founding co,owner of the Kansas City Royals baseball team
- Muriel Lilian Pavlow
British actress
- Muriel Burrell Smith
American singer and actress
- Muriel Beaumont
Lady du Maurier, English actress; mother of novelist Daphne du Maurier
- Muriel Boucher
Zazoui, French ice dancing coach
- Muriel Angelus
English actress
Muriel in pop culture
- Muriel
character in the mobile game 'The Arcana'
- Muriel Rush
character on TV's "Too Close for Comfort"
- "Muriel's Wedding
" 1994 film
- Muriel Heslop
main character in "Muriel's Wedding"
- Great Aunt Muriel Weasley
character in the "Harry Potter" series
- Muriel Bagge
elderly main character on animated series "Courage the Cowardly Dog"
- Muriel P. Finster
character in animated series "Recess"
- Muriel
character on TV's "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody"
- Muriel Blandings
wife of the title character in "Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House"
- Muriel Goldman
character on TV's "Family Guy"
- Muriel
wise old goat in George Orwell's "Animal Farm"
- Lady Muriel Orme
main character in Lewis Carroll's Sylvie and Bruno novels
- Muriel McComber
main character in Eugene O'Neill's "Ah, Wilderness!" (1933)
- Muriel Pritchett
character in Anne Tyler's "The Accidental Tourist" (1985)
- Muriel Stacy
Anne's teacher in L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables series
- Muriel
villain in film "Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters" (2013)
- Muriel
character in 1998 made,for,tv film "David and Lisa"
- Muriel Glass
Seymour Glass's girlfriend and then wife in J.D.Salinger's works
- Chandler Muriel Bing
character on NBC's "Friends"
Variations & nicknames
- MerielIrish
- MurielleIrish
- MuireallScottish
- MuiriolIrish
- MuirghealIrish
- MerialIrish