Murray: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#2,633

among boys · ↑102 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Murray · -3% vs 2024

How common

1 in 34,162

boys born in 2025

Peak year

1922

635 babies

All-time total

22,299

#797 all-time among boys

First recorded

1880

in Social Security records

Murray popularity over time

22,299 babies have been named Murray since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure

Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras

BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade	Girls	Boys	Total	Per year	Change	Best rank
1880s	–	203	203	20	–	#287
1890s	–	298	298	30	+47%	#284
1900s	5	522	527	53	+77%	#249
1910s	59	3,261	3,320	332	+530%	#212
1920s	75	5,542	5,617	562	+69%	#206
1930s	24	2,908	2,932	293	-48%	#279
1940s	50	2,539	2,589	259	-12%	#353
1950s	37	2,681	2,718	272	+5%	#411
1960s	33	1,633	1,666	167	-39%	#527
1970s	10	671	681	68	-59%	#790
1980s	6	417	423	42	-38%	#1,172
1990s	5	304	309	31	-27%	#2,037
2000s	–	230	230	23	-26%	#2,907
2010s	29	404	433	43	+88%	#2,475
2020s (to 2025)	58	295	353	59	+36%	#2,286

Where Murray is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year	Projected babies	Per 1,000 boys	Implied rank
2026	51	0.03	outside top 500
2027	52	0.03	outside top 500
2028	53	0.03	outside top 500
2029	54	0.03	outside top 500
2030	54	0.03	outside top 500

The story of Murray

Murray is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #2,633 in 2025 with 50 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 22,299 American babies have been named Murray. Its peak came in 1922, when 635 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1920s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Murray stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Murray?

The median living Murray is about 66 years old; half are between 49 and 75. An estimated 7,500 people named Murray are alive in the United States today.

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Murray year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year	Girls	Girls rank	Boys	Boys rank
2025	8	#11,607	50	#2,633
2024	12	#8,789	48	#2,735
2023	13	#8,354	62	#2,286
2022	8	#11,907	47	#2,781
2021	10	#10,089	41	#3,007
2020	7	#13,060	47	#2,683
2019	7	#13,371	52	#2,543
2018	6	#15,081	44	#2,781
2017	5	#17,635	52	#2,475
2016	6	#15,642	43	#2,819
2015	–	–	44	#2,753
2014	–	–	40	#2,917
2013	–	–	26	#3,932
2012	5	#18,709	42	#2,854
2011	–	–	31	#3,491
2010	–	–	30	#3,603
2009	–	–	23	#4,385
2008	–	–	26	#4,001
2007	–	–	18	#5,147
2006	–	–	19	#4,804
2005	–	–	33	#3,147
2004	–	–	15	#5,411
2003	–	–	21	#4,066
2002	–	–	18	#4,439
2001	–	–	32	#2,907
2000	–	–	25	#3,387
1995	–	–	25	#2,898
1990	5	#14,468	37	#2,037
1985	–	–	31	#1,903
1980	–	–	61	#1,172
1975	–	–	68	#998
1970	–	–	109	#790
1965	–	–	136	#643
1960	7	#5,535	217	#540
1955	–	–	281	#442
1950	–	–	233	#438
1945	–	–	189	#433
1940	5	#4,845	259	#353
1935	–	–	255	#345
1930	7	#3,935	412	#279
1925	9	#3,579	587	#226
1920	6	#4,800	524	#239
1915	–	–	361	#250
1910	6	#2,325	89	#260
1905	–	–	60	#252
1900	–	–	49	#299
1895	–	–	39	#286
1890	–	–	32	#308
1885	–	–	21	#391
1880	–	–	17	#438

Famous people named Murray

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

1 Murray Head English actor and singer (born 1946) Contemporary
2 Murray Hamilton American actor (1923–1986) Contemporary
3 Murray Rothbard American economist (1926–1995) Contemporary
4 Murray Gell-Mann American theoretical physicist (1929–2019) Contemporary
5 Murray Bookchin American social theorist (1921–2006) Contemporary
6 Murray Walker British commentator and journalist (1923–2021) Contemporary
7 Murray Perahia American pianist and conductor (born 1947) Contemporary
8 Murray Gold English composer and dramatist (born 1969) Contemporary
9 Murray Leinster American fiction writer (1896–1975) 19th century
10 Murray Rose Australian swimmer (1939–2012) Contemporary
11 Murray Halberg New Zealand athlete and philanthropist (1933–2022) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Murray, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Murray?

The median living Murray is about 66 years old. Half of all living Murrays are between 49 and 75 years old.

How many people named Murray are alive today?

An estimated 7,500 people named Murray are alive in the United States, based on 22,299 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Murray mean?

Scottish surname derived from the place name Moray in northeastern Scotland, from Medieval Latin Moravia, Morauia, from Scottish Gaelic Moireibh, Moireabh, Moreb, ultimately from Proto-Celtic *mori (“sea”) + *trebā (“settlement”).

How popular is the name Murray in 2025?

Murray ranked #2,633 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 50 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Murray?

22,299 babies have been named Murray in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Murray most popular?

Murray peaked in 1922, when 635 newborns received the name.

Is Murray a boy or girl name?

Murray is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 98% of babies with the name.

Is the name Murray rising or falling?

Murray is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Murray become more popular?

Murray is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 54 boys named Murray in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Murray?

Well-known people named Murray include Murray Head (actor), Murray Hamilton (actor), Murray Rothbard (economist).

Names like Murray

Names that sound and feel close to Murray: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Murray with similar names → More names starting with M →