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Murel
How to Pronounce Murel
Pronounced MYOOR-uhl /ˈmjʊr.əl/Medium
Meaning: Murel is best read as a variant of Muriel (from a Celtic name meaning 'bright sea', from muir 'sea' and geal 'bright'), or of the surname-name Merrill, which itself derives from Muriel. Usually a women's name, Muriel here yields a men's use, so we note the cross-sex history.Low
Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data
U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.
SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.
History & Origin
Murel reflects Muriel and the derived surname Merrill, carrying the old Celtic sense 'bright sea'. Recorded as a men's name in the United States from the 1890s into the mid-twentieth century, it was always rare, given to only a couple dozen boys a year, with the fuller Muriel far more common as a women's name.
A man named Murel would belong to a grandfather or great-grandfather generation, and the name reads as a plainspoken vintage choice with a sea-bright meaning behind it. Its relatives Muriel and Merrill are its clearest fuller forms.
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Murel mean?
It varies Muriel or the surname Merrill, from a Celtic name meaning 'bright sea'.
How do you pronounce Murel?
It's said MYOOR-uhl /ˈmjʊr.əl/, two syllables with the stress on the first.
Is Murel a boy or girl name?
Murel appears here as a boy's name, though its parent Muriel is usually a girl's name.
How popular is Murel?
It was always rare, an early-twentieth-century name given to only a couple dozen boys a year.