Murray
Gender-neutral name · Celtic · Scottish
Meaningseaboard settlement · Scottish
- US rank
- #2,604
- Syllables
- 2
- Peak
- #206 in 1922
50 babies were named Murray in the US in 2025. It has climbed 54 places in five years.
Found on lists
Save adds it to your list. Vote moves it up the top voted names.
US births per million girls, 1904–2025
US births per million boys, 1880–2025
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Murray you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
Famous Murray
Murray Rothbard
American economist (1926–1995)
Choose Murray and your child shares a first name with Murray Rothbard, an American economist. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Murray, like who?” Murray Rothbard's Wikipedia article is available in 59 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.
Read about Murray Rothbard on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Photo: Ludwig von Mises Institute, CC BY 3.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons
- How commonAbout 1 in every 34,130 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Murray, 50 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Murray would very likely be the only one.
- HistoryMurray has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Murrays, and counting.
- Best yearIt was far more popular in 1922, when it ranked #206. Today it's #2,604, so it could be due a comeback.
- Then vs nowMurray is 2.3× more common today than it was in 2000. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 78,740 baby boys; in 2025, about 1 in 34,130.
- TrendMurray has climbed 54 places in the US rankings over the last five years and now sits at #2,604. Fast risers like this often keep climbing, so expect to hear it more.
- Boy or girlMurray is given to both boys and girls: 86% of the 58 babies named Murray in 2025 were boys. That makes it one of the names that truly works for either.
- MeaningIn Scottish, Murray means “seaboard settlement”. Our records link it to Celtic and Scottish roots.
About the name Murray
Murray is a gender-neutral name of Celtic and Scottish origin meaning “seaboard settlement”. It has 6 letters and 2 syllables, starting with M and ending in “-ray”. US birth records list Murray for boys from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1922, when it ranked #206 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #2,604, with 50 babies. Of the 58 US babies named Murray in 2025, 14% were girls and 86% were boys.
Origin:Celtic namesScottish names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 3.0 | 329,670 girls |
| 1910s | 8.3 | 120,627 girls |
| 1920s | 6.2 | 160,772 girls |
| 1930s | 2.2 | 448,430 girls |
| 1940s | 3.4 | 293,255 girls |
| 1950s | 1.9 | 518,135 girls |
| 1960s | 1.7 | 574,713 girls |
| 1970s | 0.6 | 1,562,500 girls |
| 1980s | 0.3 | 2,857,143 girls |
| 1990s | 0.3 | 3,846,154 girls |
| 2010s | 1.7 | 595,238 girls |
| 2020s | 6.0 | 167,598 girls |
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 187 | 5,356 boys |
| 1890s | 261 | 3,828 boys |
| 1900s | 380 | 2,628 boys |
| 1910s | 503 | 1,987 boys |
| 1920s | 503 | 1,989 boys |
| 1930s | 275 | 3,632 boys |
| 1940s | 174 | 5,761 boys |
| 1950s | 133 | 7,528 boys |
| 1960s | 83 | 11,980 boys |
| 1970s | 40 | 24,777 boys |
| 1980s | 23 | 44,092 boys |
| 1990s | 16 | 64,392 boys |
| 2000s | 12 | 86,655 boys |
| 2010s | 22 | 46,404 boys |
| 2020s | 28 | 35,108 boys |
More Celtic names
- Girl name: Evelyn · possibly desired
- Girl name: Isla · from Islay
- Unisex name: Owen · well-born
- Unisex name: Riley · rye clearing
- Unisex name: Logan · little hollow
- Unisex name: Rowan · little red-haired one
- Unisex name: Nolan · descendant of Nuallán
- Unisex name: Cameron · crooked nose
Questions about the name Murray
What does the name Murray mean?
Murray means “seaboard settlement” in Scottish.
What is the origin of the name Murray?
Murray has Celtic, Scottish roots in our records. Other Celtic names include Evelyn, Isla, Owen.
Is Murray a boy or girl name?
Both. Murray is used for boys and girls: in 2025, 14% of US babies named Murray were girls.
How popular is the name Murray?
Murray ranked #2,604 for US boys in 2025, given to 50 babies. Its best year was 1922 (#206).