Namewise

Murray vs Yosef

Murray and Yosefcompared 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 Yosef #1162 among boys in England and Wales.

Murray and Yosef over time

Murray and Yosef appear together in 1 published list, across 29 years of shared records. Yosef 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.

Murray reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Yosef 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 · Boys29 shared years, 19962024

    Murray held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Yosef in 14.

    Highest recorded here: Murray #471 in 1997, Yosef #908 in 2019.

    The order changed in 2010: Yosef moved ahead. In 2009 they stood at #884 and #1008; by 2010 that had become #1201 and #1055.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Murray #1282, Yosef #1162.

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

Side-by-side comparison of Murray, Yosef
FieldMurrayYosef
Record typeEditorially researched profileOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)
Gender usagemalemale
MeaningOriginally 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
OriginScottish Gaelic, from the place name Moray (possibly of Pictish origin)Not yet recorded
Pronunciation/ˈmɜri/Not yet recorded
Syllables22
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZGB-ENW, NO
Most recent popularity observationRepublic of Ireland · Boys #829 (2025)Norway · Boys #447 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/100Not yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)88/10094/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/10060/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

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

How each name got here

Murray

Popularity journey

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1954–1973

    Highest recorded position: #16 among boys in New Zealand, in 1955 (recorded 1954–1973).

    New Zealand · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #829 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.

    Republic of Ireland · Boys

Yosef

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1967

    First recorded at #549 among boys in Norway in 1967 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Boys

  2. Highest recorded1967–2025

    Highest recorded position: #293 among boys in Norway, in 2014 (recorded 1967–2025).

    Norway · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #447 among boys in Norway, in 2025.

    Norway · Boys