Kenan vs Murray

Kenan 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.

Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Kenan was ranked #727 and Murray #88 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Kenan was ranked #857 and Murray #1282 among boys in England and Wales.

Kenan and Murray over time

Kenan and Murray appear together in 1 published list, across 29 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.

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.

Murray reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Kenan 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.

Repeatedly exchanged positions
Kenan and Murray changed places 7 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #857 and #1282.
Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Kenan #345 in 1998, Murray #471 in 1997.

List by list

England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Kenan held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Murray in 14.
Highest recorded here: Kenan #345 in 1998, Murray #471 in 1997.
The order changed in 2020: Kenan moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #1369 and #1316; by 2020 that had become #1051 and #1825.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Kenan #857, Murray #1282.

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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Murray

Pairs where Murray shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

David vs Murray
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Boys within 2 years — David #1 in 1961, Murray #70 in 1963.
David · Murray · 15 shared years, 1957–1971 · Peaked in the same years
See the 1963 New South Wales, Australia ranking
John vs Murray
Both reached their highest recorded position in New Zealand · Boys within 2 years — John #1 in 1954, Murray #16 in 1955.
John · Murray · 20 shared years, 1954–1973 · Peaked in the same years
See the 1955 New Zealand ranking
Murray vs Graeme
Across 20 shared years in New Zealand · Boys, Murray and Graeme averaged 4.0 places apart, ending at #100 and #91.
Murray · Graeme · 20 shared years, 1954–1973 · Closest over the longest run
See the 1973 New Zealand ranking
Alan vs Murray
Across 20 shared years in New Zealand · Boys, Alan and Murray averaged 4.5 places apart, ending at #93 and #100.
Alan · Murray · 20 shared years, 1954–1973 · Closest over the longest run
See the 1973 New Zealand ranking

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Kenan, Murray
Field	Kenan	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	GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE, NO	AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ
Most recent popularity observation	Norway · Boys #466 (2025)	Republic of Ireland · Boys #829 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)	Not yet recorded	90/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)	94/100	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)); Kenan does not have one recorded yet.
Kenan and Murray both have 2 syllables.
A meaning is recorded for Murray; Kenan doesn't have one written yet.
Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE.

How each name got here

Kenan

Popularity journey

First recorded1996
First recorded at #1104 among boys in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded1998–2024
Highest recorded position: #242 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1998 (recorded 1998–2024).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #466 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · 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