Murray vs Noel
Murray and Noelcompared 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 Zealand · Boys
In 1963, Murray was ranked #25 and Noel #94 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1964, Murray was ranked #74 and Noel #91 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Murray was ranked #88 and Noel #619 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2014, Murray was ranked #398 and Noel #346 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Murray was ranked #829 and Noel #402 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Murray was ranked #1282 and Noel #567 among boys in England and Wales.
Murray and Noel over time
Murray and Noel appear together in 3 published lists, across 47 years of shared records. Noel held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Murray in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Noel reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Murray in 1. 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
Murray and Noel changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #1282 and #567.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New Zealand · Boys within 2 years — Murray #16 in 1955, Noel #63 in 1954.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Murray held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Noel in 22.
Highest recorded here: Murray #471 in 1997, Noel #372 in 2015.
The order changed in 2004: Noel moved ahead. In 2003 they stood at #642 and #746; by 2004 that had become #1038 and #599.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Murray #1282, Noel #567.
New Zealand · Boys10 shared years, 1954–1963
Murray held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Noel in 0.
Highest recorded here: Murray #16 in 1955, Noel #63 in 1954.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1963: Murray #25, Noel #94.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys8 shared years, 1957–1964
Murray held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Noel in 5.
Highest recorded here: Murray #70 in 1963, Noel #60 in 1957.
The order changed in 1963: Murray moved ahead. In 1962 they stood at #80 and #75; by 1963 that had become #70 and #97.
Most recent shared year, 1964: Murray #74, Noel #91.
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 | Murray | Noel |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | 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. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Scottish Gaelic, from the place name Moray (possibly of Pictish origin) | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈmɜri/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #829 (2025) | Norway · Boys #139 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| 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)); Noel does not have one recorded yet.
- Murray has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Noel.
- A meaning is recorded for Murray; Noel doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
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
Noel
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #56 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 recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #19 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1966 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #139 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys