NameCensus.

UK surname

Murrell

A toponymic surname derived from places in England or Ireland, likely referring to a bog or marsh.

In the 1881 census there were 2,138 people recorded with the Murrell surname, ranking it #2,072 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,241, ranked #2,098, down from #2,072 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Lambeth and Brighton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Forest of Dean, East Hampshire and Warrington.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Murrell is 3,414 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 51.6%.

1881 census count

2,138

Ranked #2,072

Modern count

3,241

2016, ranked #2,098

Peak year

1999

3,414 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Murrell had 2,138 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,072 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,241 in 2016, ranked #2,098.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,103 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Murrell surname distribution map

The map shows where the Murrell surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Murrell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Murrell over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 1,464 #1,962
1861 historical 1,140 #2,465
1881 historical 2,138 #2,072
1891 historical 2,382 #1,973
1901 historical 2,843 #1,957
1911 historical 3,103 #1,679
1997 modern 3,283 #1,960
1998 modern 3,374 #1,983
1999 modern 3,414 #1,984
2000 modern 3,382 #1,995
2001 modern 3,314 #1,988
2002 modern 3,388 #2,001
2003 modern 3,331 #1,983
2004 modern 3,292 #2,005
2005 modern 3,195 #2,035
2006 modern 3,194 #2,040
2007 modern 3,235 #2,040
2008 modern 3,252 #2,047
2009 modern 3,350 #2,042
2010 modern 3,403 #2,051
2011 modern 3,357 #2,044
2012 modern 3,280 #2,052
2013 modern 3,336 #2,054
2014 modern 3,323 #2,078
2015 modern 3,281 #2,082
2016 modern 3,241 #2,098

Geography

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Where Murrells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Lambeth, Brighton and St Mary Islington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Forest of Dean, East Hampshire, Warrington and Redcar and Cleveland. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Lambeth London (South Districts)
4 Brighton Sussex
5 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Forest of Dean 004 Forest of Dean
2 East Hampshire 003 East Hampshire
3 East Hampshire 002 East Hampshire
4 Warrington 021 Warrington
5 Redcar and Cleveland 013 Redcar and Cleveland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Murrell

These lists show first names that appear often with the Murrell surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Murrell

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Murrell, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Murrell surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Murrell household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Murrell is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Murrell is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Murrell falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Murrell is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Murrell, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Murrell

The surname Murrell is believed to have originated in England, with roots dating back to the 12th century. It is thought to have derived from the Old French word "murier," meaning mulberry tree, suggesting that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near or worked with mulberry trees.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Murrell can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, where a person named Richard Murel is mentioned. The variant spelling "Murel" was common in early records, and it wasn't until later that the spelling "Murrell" became more prevalent.

In the 13th century, the surname Murrell appeared in various historical documents, including the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which recorded a William Muryel. This spelling variation further reinforces the connection to the Old French word "murier."

During the 14th century, the Murrell surname emerged in several regions of England, including Yorkshire, where a John Muryell was documented in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. This suggests that the name had spread to different parts of the country by that time.

One notable figure bearing the Murrell surname was Sir John Murrell, a prominent English landowner and Member of Parliament who lived from 1535 to 1601. He served as Sheriff of Wiltshire in 1587 and represented Wiltshire in the House of Commons during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Another individual of historical significance was Thomas Murrell, an English clergyman and academic who lived from 1609 to 1670. He was a fellow of New College, Oxford, and served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford from 1665 to 1666.

In the 18th century, the Murrell surname was associated with several notable individuals, including John Murrell (1718-1777), a British physician and writer who published works on medical topics, and Nathaniel Murrell (1738-1822), an English Baptist minister and author.

Moving into the 19th century, one prominent figure with the Murrell surname was William Murrell (1835-1917), a British physician and pioneering advocate for the use of hypnosis in medical treatment. He published several works on the subject and was a founding member of the Society for the Study of Hypnosis.

Throughout history, the Murrell surname has maintained a presence across various regions of England, with records indicating families bearing this name in counties such as Somerset, Wiltshire, Oxfordshire, and Yorkshire, among others.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Murrell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Murrell surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 493 Murrells recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.37x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 493 2.37x
Surrey 308 3.04x
Norfolk 272 8.49x
Sussex 223 6.35x
Essex 191 4.65x
Kent 126 1.77x
Suffolk 93 3.67x
Hampshire 89 2.08x
Warwickshire 50 0.95x
Durham 34 0.55x
Lincolnshire 29 0.87x
Gloucestershire 27 0.66x
Berkshire 26 1.66x
Herefordshire 24 2.81x
Lancashire 20 0.08x
Hertfordshire 15 1.04x
Glamorgan 13 0.36x
Staffordshire 13 0.18x
Yorkshire 13 0.06x
Oxfordshire 12 0.93x
Cambridgeshire 11 0.83x
Devon 8 0.18x
Orkney 7 3.06x
Dorset 4 0.29x
Montgomeryshire 4 0.84x
Somerset 4 0.12x
Brecknockshire 3 0.72x
Midlothian 3 0.11x
Northumberland 3 0.10x
Wiltshire 3 0.16x
Lanarkshire 2 0.03x
Northamptonshire 2 0.10x
Royal Navy 2 0.81x
Sutherland 2 1.25x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.05x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.08x
Cardiganshire 1 0.20x
Leicestershire 1 0.04x
Shropshire 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lambeth in Surrey leads with 57 Murrells recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.14x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 57 3.14x
Islington London 54 2.68x
Brighton 48 6.78x
St Pancras London 40 2.39x
Shoreditch London 34 3.77x
Bethnal Green London 33 3.65x
Poplar London 33 8.40x
Caston 32 824.74x
Battersea 31 4.05x
Camberwell 31 2.33x
Hackney London 31 2.65x
Clapham 30 11.52x
Mile End Old Town 29 8.82x
West Ham 29 3.20x
Prittlewell 28 49.14x
Croydon 25 4.44x
Kensington London 25 2.16x
Heigham 24 13.96x
Leigh 24 167.95x
Monk Sherborne 24 707.96x
Newington 23 2.99x
Chelsea London 22 3.51x
Cuckfield 21 59.21x
Peasmarsh 20 335.01x
St Marylebone London 20 1.80x
Horsham 19 27.86x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 18 18.72x
Eastbourne 17 10.52x
Tottenham 16 4.82x
Bermondsey 15 2.42x
Deptford St Paul 15 2.74x
Hawley 15 186.57x
Swaffham 15 57.58x
Aston 14 0.97x
Chadwell St Mary 14 332.54x
Great Grimsby 14 6.62x
Horsted Keynes 14 171.15x
Hove 14 9.09x
Hartlepool 13 14.76x
Putney 13 13.70x
Warwick St Mary 13 28.51x
Bethersden 12 165.75x
Clerkenwell London 12 2.44x
Lakenham 12 26.37x
Richmond 12 8.44x
Chatham 11 5.63x
Gorleston 11 17.07x
Pulham St Mary Virgin 11 187.39x
Southwark St George Martyr 11 2.62x
St Botolph Aldgate 11 38.69x
Burnham 10 65.88x
Clifford 10 176.99x
Great Yarmouth 10 3.77x
Hampstead London 10 3.08x
Romford 10 15.39x
Brandon 9 52.30x
Chesterton 9 22.13x
Clee With Weelsby 9 12.35x
East Grinstead 9 18.11x
Greenwich 9 2.71x
Halling 9 96.67x
Limehouse London 9 3.94x
Neithrop 9 20.82x
Paddington London 9 1.18x
Shermanbury 9 347.49x
Sudbourne 9 218.45x
Westoe 9 2.56x
Blakeney 8 139.86x
East Dereham 8 19.77x
Elvetham 8 239.52x
Hammersmith London 8 1.56x
Ipswich St Mathew 8 11.25x
Orsett 8 74.63x
Trimley St Martin 8 183.49x
Wolverhampton 8 1.48x
Chalk 7 285.71x
Ealing 7 3.76x
Hertford St John 7 32.73x
Narborough 7 225.81x
Portsmouth 7 7.12x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Murrell surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 141
Elizabeth 77
Sarah 64
Alice 43
Emma 42
Eliza 41
Ellen 40
Jane 39
Ann 38
Emily 30
Annie 27
Louisa 21
Ada 18
Martha 18
Charlotte 17
Fanny 17
Kate 16
Catherine 15
Edith 14
Florence 14
Frances 13
Agnes 12
Lucy 12
Caroline 11
Harriett 9
Maria 9
Susan 9
Clara 8
Harriet 8
Laura 8
Matilda 8
Hannah 7
Margaret 7
Minnie 7
Rose 7
Amelia 6
Esther 6
Isabella 6
Rachel 6
Sophia 6
Elizth. 5
Julia 5
Susannah 5
Amy 4
Ethel 4
Flora 4
Gertrude 4
Helen 4
Jessie 4
Rebecca 4

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Murrell surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 145
George 109
John 95
James 85
Henry 57
Charles 48
Frederick 37
Thomas 36
Edward 27
Robert 26
Walter 26
Alfred 24
Arthur 22
Harry 19
Joseph 19
Samuel 18
Herbert 17
Albert 15
Wm. 12
Ernest 11
Richard 11
Chas. 9
Frank 9
Edwin 8
Geo. 7
Fredk. 6
Benjamin 5
Daniel 5
Sidney 5
Francis 4
Owen 4
Percy 4
Saml. 4
Stephen 4
David 3
Horace 3
Mark 3
Thos. 3
Auther 2
Bertie 2
Fredrick 2
Isaac 2
Lewis 2
Michael 2
Peter 2
Willm. 2
Authur 1
Dannie 1
Dominic 1
Wm.G.H. 1

FAQ

Murrell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Murrell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,138 people were recorded with the Murrell surname. That placed it at #2,072 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Murrell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,241 in 2016. That gives Murrell a modern rank of #2,098.

What does the Murrell surname mean?

A toponymic surname derived from places in England or Ireland, likely referring to a bog or marsh.

What does the Murrell map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Murrell bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.