Muriel
Girl name · #4355 in 2025 · Very rare
In 2025, 32 baby girls were named Muriel, placing it at #4355 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #4853, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 56,250 girls born in 2025 was named Muriel.
The 145-year story
Muriel first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 7 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1922, when 2,392 girls were named Muriel — good for #112 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Muriel per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Muriel against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Muriel in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Muriel is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Muriel will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Muriel is most common
State-level data for Muriel is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Muriel
Statistically, parents drawn to Muriel tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Ethel, Marietta, Dorcas, Minnie, and Marion.
EthelMariettaDorcasMinnieMarionSallieBerthaBernice
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Muriel | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 32 | #4352 |
| 2024 | 50 | #3176 |
| 2023 | 27 | #4873 |
| 2022 | 22 | #5638 |
| 2021 | 19 | #6174 |
| 2020 | 20 | #5850 |
| 2019 | 20 | #5986 |
| 2018 | 19 | #6248 |
| 2017 | 26 | #5045 |
| 2016 | 21 | #5985 |
| 2015 | 28 | #4853 |
| 2014 | 30 | #4657 |
| 2013 | 15 | #7748 |
| 2012 | 16 | #7456 |
| 2011 | 21 | #6148 |
| 2010 | 22 | #5977 |
| 2009 | 20 | #6544 |
| 2008 | 31 | #4761 |
| 2007 | 30 | #4808 |
| 2006 | 33 | #4358 |
| 2005 | 27 | #4828 |
| 2004 | 27 | #4816 |
| 2003 | 30 | #4307 |
| 2002 | 38 | #3523 |
| 2001 | 30 | #4107 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Muriel a popular girl name?
Muriel ranked #4355 among girls in 2025 with 32 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #4853.
When was the name Muriel most popular?
Muriel peaked in 1922, when 2,392 American girls received the name (ranked #112 that year). Since 1922 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Muriel?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 56,250 newborn American girls was named Muriel. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.