Murray vs Shawn
Murray and Shawncompared 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, Murray was ranked #88 and Shawn #727 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Murray was ranked #1282 and Shawn #2921 among boys in England and Wales.
Murray and Shawn over time
Murray and Shawn appear together in 1 published list, across 29 years of shared records. Shawn held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Murray 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.
Shawn reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Murray and Shawn changed places 9 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #1282 and #2921.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Murray #471 in 1997, Shawn #406 in 1996.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Murray held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Shawn in 23.
Highest recorded here: Murray #471 in 1997, Shawn #406 in 1996.
The order changed in 2024: Murray moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #2007 and #1309; by 2024 that had become #1282 and #2921.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Murray #1282, Shawn #2921.
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 | Shawn |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #829 (2025) | Scotland · Boys #727 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 94/100 |
| 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)); Shawn does not have one recorded yet.
- Murray has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Shawn.
- A meaning is recorded for Murray; Shawn doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE.
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
Shawn
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #406 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 recorded1996–2012
Highest recorded position: #290 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1999 (recorded 1996–2012).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2921 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys