The first name Murray
A boy’s name meaning “sea”, “settlement”.
Pronounced /ˈmʌɹi/ 2 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Murray means “sea”, “settlement”.
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”).
More names that mean sea.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 12 boys were named Murray, making it the 2,014th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 1997, with 41 births (#471).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Murray with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Murray at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 50 boys born in the United States were named Murray, the 2,633rd most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1922, when 628 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Murray in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Murray in Italian too.
Famous people named Murray
50 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Murray Gell-MannAmerican physicist (1929–2019)
- F. Murray AbrahamAmerican actor (born 1939)
- Murray RothbardAmerican economist (1926–1995)
- Murray BookchinAmerican libertarian socialist author, orator, and philosopher (1921–2006)
- Murray PerahiaAmerican pianist and conductor (born 1947)
- Murray WalkerBritish motorsport commentator and journalist (1923–2021)
- Murray RoseAustralian swimmer, Olympic gold medalist, former world record-holder (1939-2012)
- Murray HeadBritish actor and singer, born 1946
- Murray HamiltonAmerican actor (1923–1986)
- Murray GoldBritish composer, born 1969
- Murray BartlettAustralian actor, born 1971
- Murray StewartAustralian canoeist, born 1986
Questions
- What does the name Murray mean?
- Murray means “sea”, “settlement”.
- How popular is the name Murray?
- In 2025, 12 boys born in England and Wales were named Murray, ranking 2,014th. Its peak was 1997, with 41 births.
- Is Murray a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 98% of the 22,299 US babies named Murray since 1880 were boys.
- When was Murray most popular?
- 1922 in the United States, when 628 babies were named Murray, its highest rank at 206th.
- How do you pronounce Murray?
- Murray is /ˈmʌɹi/, 2 syllables.
- Is Murray also a surname?
- Yes. Murray is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.