Muriel is a feminine

given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a fa ...

in the

English language English is a West Germanic language of the Indo-European language family, with its earliest forms spoken by the inhabitants of early medieval England. It is named after the Angles, one of the ancient Germanic peoples that migrated to the is ...

Origin/history

The name is of

Goidelic The Goidelic or Gaelic languages ( ga, teangacha Gaelacha; gd, cànanan Goidhealach; gv, çhengaghyn Gaelgagh) form one of the two groups of Insular Celtic languages, the other being the Brittonic languages. Goidelic languages historically ...

origin and was originally spelled as ''Muirgheal'' (''muir'' "sea", ''gheal'' "bright") in

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

and ''Muireall'' in

Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig ), also known as Scots Gaelic and Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family) native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well as ...

. Various versions have long been evident in

Breton Breton most often refers to: *anything associated with Brittany, and generally ** Breton people ** Breton language, a Southwestern Brittonic Celtic language of the Indo-European language family, spoken in Brittany ** Breton (horse), a breed **Ga ...

, and

languages. The name was very common in medieval

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

, typically in the form of "Merial". Unusually for a name of Celtic origin, it remained common after the

Norman Conquest The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Norman, Breton, Flemish, and French troops, all led by the Duke of Normandy, later styled William the Conque ...

, although rare from about 1300. Remaining common in Scotland as Muriel, the name in this form was introduced back into England in the mid-19th century, facilitated by

Dinah Craik Dinah Maria Craik (; born Dinah Maria Mulock, often credited as Miss Mulock or Mrs. Craik; 20 April 1826 – 12 October 1887) was an English novelist and poet. She is best remembered for her novel ''John Halifax, Gentleman'', which presents the ...

's 1856 novel ''

John Halifax, Gentleman ''John Halifax, Gentleman'' is a novel by Dinah Craik, first published in 1856. The novel was adapted for BBC Radio 4 in 1970 and on television on BBC in 1974. Plot summary The action is centred on the town of Tewkesbury, scarcely disguised ...

'' whose title character's daughter is named Muriel. Born in 1802, Muriel is said to be named "after the rather peculiar name of John's mother." The name Muriel was listed in the top 200 names from 1912 to 1933, with its highest rate of popularity in the 1920s. Since that time, use of the name has declined and is now rare.

List of persons with the given name

Muriel Anderson Muriel Anderson (born June 17, 1960) is an American fingerstyle guitarist and harp guitarist who plays in many genres. She is the first woman to win the National Fingerpicking Guitar Championship. Career Muriel Anderson was born in Downers Grove ...

(born 1960), American guitarist *

Muriel Angelus Muriel Angelus (born Muriel E S M Findlay, 10 March 1912 – 26 June 2004) was an English stage, musical theatre, and film actress. Born in Lambeth, South London, to Scottish parentage, her father was a chemist. She was educated at the Urs ...

(1912–2004), British actress *

Muriel Bamblett Muriel Pauline Bamblett is a Yorta Yorta and Dja Dja Wurrung advocate for Aboriginal child welfare in Victoria and Australia. Biography Bamblett has been the chief executive of Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency (VACCA), since 1999. She is ...

, advocate for Aboriginal child welfare in Victoria and Australia *

Muriel Barbery Muriel Barbery (born 28 May 1969) is a French novelist and philosophy teacher. Her 2006 novel '' The Elegance of the Hedgehog'' quickly sold more than a million copies in several countries. Biography Barbery was born in Rabat, Morocco, but she ...

(born 1969), Moroccan-born French novelist * Muriel Beaumont (1881–1957), British actress *

Muriel Bell Muriel Emma Bell (4 January 1898 – 2 May 1974) was a New Zealand nutritionist and medical researcher. Early life Bell was born in Murchison, New Zealand on 4 January 1898, the daughter of Thomas, a farmer, and Eliza (). Bell attended the lo ...

(1898–1974), New Zealand nutritionist and researcher *

Muriel Bowser Muriel Elizabeth Bowser (born August 2, 1972) is an American politician serving since 2015 as the eighth mayor of the District of Columbia. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously represented the 4th ward as a member of the Council ...

(born 1972), mayor of the District of Columbia *

Muriel Box Violette Muriel Box, Baroness Gardiner, (22 September 1905 – 18 May 1991) was an English screenwriter and director, Britain's most prolific female director, having directed 12 feature films and one featurette. Her screenplay for ''The Seventh ...

(1905–1991), British screenwriter and film director *

Muriel Brandolini Countess Muriel Brandolini d'Adda di Valmareno (née Phan van Thiet), known professionally as Muriel Brandolini, is a French-Vietnamese interior designer and decorator. In 2016 Brandolini was named one of the world's top 100 designers by '' Archi ...

, French-Vietnamese interior designer *Muriel Broadbent ( Edith Hacon) (1875–1952), British socialite, suffragist, WWI women's hospital volunteer *

Muriel Brunskill Muriel Lucy Brunskill (18 December 1899 – 18 February 1980) was an English contralto of the mid-twentieth century. Her career included concert, operatic and recital performance from the early 1920s until the 1950s. She worked with many of the ...

(1899–1980), British contralto * Muriel Casals i Couturier (1945–2016), French-born Catalan economist *

Muriel Cooper Muriel Cooper (1925 – May 26, 1994) was a pioneering book designer, digital designer, researcher, and educator. She was the first design director of the MIT Press, instilling a Bauhaus-influenced design style into its many publications. She move ...

(1925–1994), American artist and designer *

Muriel Davisson Muriel Davisson is an American geneticist who developed the Down syndrome mouse model Ts65Dn. In 1959 she graduated from Pemetic High School in Southwest Harbor, Maine. She holds Ph. D. from Penn State University (1969). She was director of Geneti ...

, American neuroscientist *

Muriel Day Muriel Day (born 11 January 1942) is an Irish singer. Born in Newtownards, County Down, she was the first singer from Northern Ireland to represent the Republic of Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest, performing at the 1969 contest. She was ...

(born 1942), Irish singer *

Muriel Duckworth Muriel Helen Duckworth (née Ball; October 31, 1908 – August 22, 2009) was a Canadian pacifist, feminist, and social and community activist. She was a practising Quaker, a religious denomination committed to non-violence. Duckworth maintain ...

(1908–2009), Canadian activist *

Muriel Evans Muriel Evans (born Muriel Adele Evanson; July 20, 1910 – October 26, 2000) was an American film actress. She is best known for her many appearances in popular Western (genre), westerns of the 1930s for which she won a Golden Boot Awards, ...

(1910–2000), American actress *

Muriel Fox Muriel Fox (born February 3, 1928) is an American public relations executive and feminist activist. Childhood and education Muriel Fox's parents were Anne Rubenstein Fox and M. Morris Fox. In 1980, Muriel said (at a Mother's Day rally for the Equa ...

(born 1928), American public relations executive and feminist activist * Muriel Forbes (1894–1991), British politician *

Muriel Gray Muriel Janet Gray FRSE (born 30 August 1958) is a Scottish author, broadcaster and journalist. She came to public notice as an interviewer on Channel 4's alternative pop-show ''The Tube'', and then appeared as a regular presenter on BBC radio ...

(born 1958), Scottish author, broadcaster and journalist *

Muriel Gustavo Becker Muriel Gustavo Becker (born 14 February 1987), simply known as Muriel, is a Brazilian footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Cypriot Club AEL Limassol. Career Internacional In 2009, Muriel was loaned by Internacional to Caxias and Portugues ...

(born 1987), Brazilian male footballer *

Muriel Humphrey Brown Muriel Fay Humphrey Brown (née Buck; February 20, 1912September 20, 1998) was an American politician who served as the second lady of the United States from 1965 to 1969, and as a U.S. Senator from Minnesota in 1978. She was married to the 38th ...

, (1912–1998), American "second lady", political wife and activist; briefly, a U.S. Senator * Muriel Kovitz (born 1926), Chancellor Emeritus of the University of Calgary * Muriel Miguel (born 1937), Native American theatre director and choreographer * Muriel Millard (1922–2014), Canadian actress, dancer, painter, singer-songwriter * Muriel Moody (1907–1991), New Zealand ceramic artist *

Muriel Nissel Muriel Nissel (née Griffiths; 30 January 1921 – 2010) was a British statistician and civil servant. Together with Claus Moser, she created "a national survey analysing trends in social welfare", that was to become ''Social Trends'', first pub ...

(1921–2010), British statistician and civil servant *

Lady Muriel Paget Lady Muriel Evelyn Vernon Paget CBE DStJ (19 August 1876 – 16 June 1938) was a British philanthropist and humanitarian relief worker, initially based in London, and later in Eastern and Central Europe. She was made an OBE in 1918 and promote ...

(1876–1938), English aristocrat, humanitarian, and relief organiser *

Muriel Pavlow Muriel Lilian Pavlow (27 June 1921 – 19 January 2019) was an English actress. Her mother was French and her father Russian. Film and television career Muriel was born in Lewisham, south-east London, to Boris Pavlov, a Russian émigré and ...

(born 1921), British actress * Muriel Robinson (born 1954), British academic administrator and education scholar *

Muriel Rukeyser Muriel Rukeyser (December 15, 1913 – February 12, 1980) was an American poet and political activist, best known for her poems about equality, feminism, social justice, and Judaism. Kenneth Rexroth said that she was the greatest poet of her "e ...

(1913–1980), American poet and political activist *

Muriel Smith Muriel Smith may refer to: * Muriel Smith (politician) * Muriel Smith (singer) Muriel Burrell Smith (February 23, 1923 – September 13, 1985) was an American singer. In the 1940s and 1950s, she was a star of musical theater and opera, and w ...

(1923–1985), American mezzo-soprano *

Muriel Spark Dame Muriel Sarah Spark (née Camberg; 1 February 1918 – 13 April 2006). was a Scottish novelist, short story writer, poet and essayist. Life Muriel Camberg was born in the Bruntsfield area of Edinburgh, the daughter of Bernard Camberg, an ...

(1918–2006), British novelist * Muriel the Poetess (11th century), poet at

Wilton Abbey Wilton Abbey was a Benedictine convent in Wiltshire, England, three miles from Salisbury, probably on the site now occupied by Wilton House. It was active from the early tenth century until 1539. History Foundation Wilton Abbey is first reco ...

Muriel Thomasset Muriel Thomasset (born 1971), is a French physicist who specializes in optics. In 2003, she received an Irène Joliot-Curie Prize. Life and work Thomasset earned her Master's degree in Optics and Photonics and in 1998 she defended her doctoral ...

(born 1971), French physicist specializing in optics * Muriel Window (1892–1965),

Ziegfeld Girl Ziegfeld Girls were the chorus girls and showgirls from Florenz Ziegfeld's theatrical Broadway revue spectaculars known as the ''Ziegfeld Follies'' (1907–1931), in New York City, which were based on the Folies Bergère of Paris. Descripti ...

, pilot, restaurant owner

List of fictional characters with the given name

* Muriel (''Animal Farm''), a goat in George Orwell's novel ''Animal Farm'' * Muriel, the main antagonist in the 2013 film '' Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters'' * Muriel, hotel maid who was a recurring character in the family sitcom ''The Suite Life of Zack & Cody'' *Muriel, an angel, the youngest brother of angels Lucifer Morningstar and Uriel in the Fox TV series''

Lucifer Lucifer is one of various figures in folklore associated with the planet Venus. The entity's name was subsequently absorbed into Christianity as a name for the devil. Modern scholarship generally translates the term in the relevant Bible passage ...

'' * Muriel Bagge, one of the main characters in ''Courage the Cowardly Dog'' * Chandler Muriel Bing, one of the male lead roles in the US TV sitcom ''Friends'' (1994–2004) *Muriel P. Finster in the animated series '' Recess'' * Muriel Glass in

J. D. Salinger Jerome David Salinger (; January 1, 1919 January 27, 2010) was an American author best known for his 1951 novel ''The Catcher in the Rye''. Salinger got his start in 1940, before serving in World War II, by publishing several short stories in '' ...

's short story " A Perfect Day for Bananafish" * Muriel Hardwicke, the main antagonist of

Eva Ibbotson Eva Maria Charlotte Michelle Ibbotson (née Wiesner; born 21 January 1925 – 20 October 2010) was a British novelist born in Austria to a Jewish family who fled the Nazis. She is known for her children's literature. Some of her novels for adult ...

's 1981 historical romance ''

A Countess Below Stairs ''A Countess Below Stairs'' is a 1981 British historical romance novel by Eva Ibbotson. It follows the story of Anna Grazinsky, a Russian countess, after World War I. It has also been published under the title ''The Secret Countess'' as a yo ...

'' * Muriel Heslop, lead character in the 1994 Australian film ''

Muriel's Wedding ''Muriel's Wedding'' is a 1994 Australian comedy-drama film written and directed by P.J. Hogan. The film, which stars Toni Collette, Rachel Griffiths, Jeanie Drynan, Sophie Lee, and Bill Hunter, focuses on the socially awkward Muriel whose ambi ...

'' * Muriel McComber, teenage lead role in the Eugene O'Neill play ''

Ah, Wilderness! ''Ah, Wilderness!'' is a comedy by American playwright Eugene O'Neill that premiered on Broadway at the Guild Theatre on October 2, 1933. It differs from a typical O'Neill play in its happy ending for the central character, and depiction of a ...

'' (1933) * Lady Muriel Orme, one of the main characters in Lewis Carroll's '' Sylvie and Bruno'' novels * Muriel Pritchett, character in the Anne Tyler novel ''

The Accidental Tourist ''The Accidental Tourist'' is a 1985 novel by Anne Tyler that was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and won the National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction in 1985 and the Ambassador Book Award for Fiction in 1986. The novel was adapted into a ...

'' (1985) * Muriel Rush, female lead role in the sitcom ''

Too Close for Comfort ''Too Close for Comfort'' is an American sitcom television series that aired on ABC from November 11, 1980, to May 5, 1983, and in first-run syndication from April 7, 1984, to February 7, 1987. Its name was changed to ''The Ted Knight Show'' w ...

'' * Muriel Stacy, Anne's teacher in

Anne of Green Gables ''Anne of Green Gables'' is a 1908 novel by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery (published as L. M. Montgomery). Written for all ages, it has been considered a classic children's novel since the mid-20th century. Set in the late 19th century, t ...

* Muriel Taggert, the villain of the first ''

Fablehaven ''Fablehaven'' is a fantasy literature, fantasy book series for children's literature, children written by Brandon Mull. The book series, which includes ''Fablehaven (novel), Fablehaven'', ''Fablehaven: Rise of the Evening Star'', ''Fablehaven: G ...

'' book * Muriel Prewett, great-aunt of Ron Weasley in ''

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows ''Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows'' is a fantasy novel written by British author J. K. Rowling and the seventh and final novel of the main ''Harry Potter'' series. It was released on 21 July 2007 in the United Kingdom by Bloomsbury Publi ...

'' (2009) *Muriel Alison Goldberg Schwartz, daughter of Erica Goldberg Schwartz and Geoffrey Schwartz in ''The Goldbergs'' (2022)

References

{{Given name, Muriel, nocat English-language feminine given names English feminine given names Irish feminine given names Scottish feminine given names

Origin/history

List of persons with the given name

List of fictional characters with the given name

See also

References