Murray vs Obie

Murray and Obiecompared 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.

England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Murray was ranked #1282 and Obie #847 among boys in England and Wales.

Murray and Obie over time

Murray and Obie appear together in 1 published list, across 21 years of shared records. Murray held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Obie in 0.

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 Obie 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.

List by list

England and Wales · Boys21 shared years, 2004–2024
Murray held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Obie in 8.
Highest recorded here: Murray #726 in 2005, Obie #731 in 2022.
The order changed in 2017: Obie moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #1271 and #1627; by 2017 that had become #2324 and #1289.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Murray #1282, Obie #847.

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 Murray, Obie
Field	Murray	Obie
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	2
Common variants / nicknames	Not yet recorded	Not yet recorded
Recorded regional usage	AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ	GB-ENW
Most recent popularity observation	Republic of Ireland · Boys #829 (2025)	England and Wales · Boys #847 (2024)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)	90/100	Not yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)	88/100	95/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)	100/100	40/100
Data Confidence	medium	medium

What the data shows

Murray has a recorded origin (Scottish Gaelic, from the place name Moray (possibly of Pictish origin)); Obie does not have one recorded yet.
Murray and Obie both have 2 syllables.
A meaning is recorded for Murray; Obie doesn't have one written yet.
Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW.

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

Obie

Popularity journey

First recorded2004
First recorded at #1498 among boys in England and Wales in 2004 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded2004–2024
Highest recorded position: #731 among boys in England and Wales, in 2022 (recorded 2004–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #847 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys