Home › Baby Names Directory › Muriel

Muriel

♀ Girl

Pronounced MYOOR-ee-ul /ˈmjʊər.i.əl/High

Meaning: From the Old Irish and Scottish Gaelic name Muirgeal or Muireall, composed of muir (sea) and geal (bright, shining), meaning 'sea-bright' or 'shining sea'High

In 30 seconds: Muriel is a Celtic name meaning shining sea, rooted in Old Irish muir (sea) and geal (bright). Medieval in heritage, it was popular in the English-speaking world through the early 20th century and carries an elegant, vintage charm.

💕 Browse more names

Origin HighCeltic, Irish, Scottish Gaelic

MeaningFrom the Old Irish and Scottish Gaelic name Muirgeal or Muireall, composed of muir (sea) and geal (bright, shining), meaning 'sea-bright' or 'shining sea'

U.S. rank (2025)#4430 ↘ Falling

2025 U.S. births32 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1922

Total births (all-time)≈ 54,884

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

Muriel derives from the Old Irish Muirgeal and Scottish Gaelic Muireall, combining muir (sea) and geal (bright, white, shining). The name was borne in medieval Ireland and Scotland and traveled to England and Brittany, where it appeared in Domesday Book records after the Norman Conquest. It was a standard name in medieval England and faded after the Renaissance, reviving strongly in the Victorian and Edwardian eras.

Muriel enjoyed considerable popularity in Britain and North America from the late 19th century through the 1930s. The Scottish novelist Muriel Spark (1918–2006), author of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, is among its most celebrated bearers. The name has grown rare since the mid-20th century but retains vintage appeal among parents drawn to classical Celtic names.

Did you know? Muriel was among the names brought to England by Breton and Norman settlers after the Norman Conquest of 1066, carrying its Celtic sea-bright meaning across the Channel into English-speaking use.

Overall data confidence 90%

Behind the Name — Muriel — Old Irish etymology Muirgeal, muir + gealOxford Dictionary of First Names — Muriel's medieval and Victorian-era usage in Britain

Variations

MerielMerrillMuirghealMuireall

Nicknames

MuriElle

Famous Bearers

★Muriel Spark (1918–2006)
Scottish novelist best known for 'The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie' (1961), a landmark work of 20th-century British literature.
★Muriel Rukeyser (1913–1980)
American poet, biographer, and political activist regarded as one of the significant American poets of the 20th century.