Graeme vs Murray
Graeme and Murraycompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1971, Graeme was ranked #83 and Murray #92 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1973, Graeme was ranked #91 and Murray #100 among boys in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2023, Graeme was ranked #4107 and Murray #2007 among boys in England and Wales.
Graeme and Murray over time
Graeme and Murray appear together in 3 published lists, across 50 years of shared records. Murray held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Graeme in 1.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Graeme reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Murray in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1973, Graeme moved ahead of Murray in New Zealand · Boys — #80 and #72 the year before became #91 and #100.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Graeme and Murray changed places 9 times in New Zealand · Boys between 1954 and 1973, ending at #91 and #100.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 20 shared years in New Zealand · Boys, Graeme and Murray averaged 4.0 places apart, ending at #91 and #100.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Graeme #755 in 1996, Murray #471 in 1997.
List by list
New Zealand · Boys20 shared years, 1954–1973
Graeme held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Murray in 13.
Highest recorded here: Graeme #18 in 1954, Murray #16 in 1955.
The order changed in 1973: Graeme moved ahead. In 1972 they stood at #80 and #72; by 1973 that had become #91 and #100.
Most recent shared year, 1973: Graeme #91, Murray #100.
England and Wales · Boys15 shared years, 1996–2023
Graeme held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Murray in 15.
Highest recorded here: Graeme #755 in 1996, Murray #471 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Graeme #4107, Murray #2007.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys15 shared years, 1957–1971
Graeme held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Murray in 0.
Highest recorded here: Graeme #34 in 1960, Murray #70 in 1963.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1971: Graeme #83, Murray #92.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Graeme | Murray |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Originally a Scottish surname/place-name derived from the region of Moray; traditionally glossed as relating to 'seashore' or 'coastal land', though the exact pre-Gaelic (possibly Pictish) root is uncertain. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Scottish Gaelic, from the place name Moray (possibly of Pictish origin) |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈmɜri/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #4107 (2023) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #829 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Murray has a recorded origin (Scottish Gaelic, from the place name Moray (possibly of Pictish origin)); Graeme does not have one recorded yet.
- Graeme and Murray both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Murray; Graeme doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Graeme
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #33 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1954–1975
Highest recorded position: #18 among boys in New Zealand, in 1954 (recorded 1954–1975).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2023
Most recently recorded at #4107 among boys in England and Wales, in 2023.
England and Wales · Boys
Murray
Popularity journey
First recorded1954
First recorded at #17 among boys in New Zealand in 1954 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Boys
Highest recorded1954–1973
Highest recorded position: #16 among boys in New Zealand, in 1955 (recorded 1954–1973).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #829 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys