Total births
21,908
Boys' name · since 1880
Murray
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 21,908 babies named Murray, peaking in 1922. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #2716
- among boys today
- 21,908
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 81%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Murray is the #2716 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 21,908 recorded since 1880.
Murray has 21,908 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #2716 as of the latest data, more common than 81% of boys, busiest in the 1920s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #2716 among boys today
- 21,908 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 81% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Murray is currently the #2716 boys' name in America, more common than 81% of boys - 21,908 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #2716
- among boys today
- 21,908
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 81%
- more common than other boys
Murray vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#2716
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 81% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
25% of everyone ever named Murray was born in this single decade.
1922
Single peak year
628 babies were named Murray in 1922 - its busiest year on record.
How Murray compares
21,908 Top 6% higher than 94% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Murray's all-time total is 60x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Murray | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 21,908 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 628 | 23 | 22,252 |
Murray's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Murray's full recorded timeline at 1953, 27% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 73% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1881, with just 14 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1922 peak of 628 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Murray at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1922
Current rank
#2,716
Active since
1880
Murray popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1922)
- 628
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Murray popularity over time - girls
391 total births recorded since 1904 (Murray as girls' name)
Murray by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Murray's strongest decade.
5,542 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 25% of all-time use.
Murray births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 203
1880s
203 births
- 1890s 298
1890s
298 births
- 1900s 522
1900s
522 births
- 1910s
1910s
3,261 births
- 1920s
1920s
5,542 births
- 1930s
1930s
2,908 births
- 1940s
1940s
2,539 births
- 1950s
1950s
2,681 births
- 1960s 1,633
1960s
1,633 births
- 1970s 671
1970s
671 births
- 1980s 417
1980s
417 births
- 1990s 304
1990s
304 births
- 2000s 230
2000s
230 births
- 2010s 404
2010s
404 births
- 2020s 295
2020s
295 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 5,542 births (25% of all-time use).
How Murray compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Murray's total volume
Murray vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Murray by state
Where Murray concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 6,585 | 30.1% |
| #2 | Pennsylvania | | 1,042 | 4.8% |
| #3 | Texas | | 741 | 3.4% |
| #4 | California | | 703 | 3.2% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 580 | 2.6% |
| #6 | Alabama | | 517 | 2.4% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 493 | 2.3% |
| #8 | Georgia | | 459 | 2.1% |
New York share of Murray's total US births 30.1%
Even split
6,585 of 21,908 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 40 reporting states.
Murray appears in 40 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Murray? ▼
21,908 babies have been named Murray since 1880. It currently ranks #2716 among boys. The peak year was 1922 with 628 births.
When was Murray most popular? ▼
Murray was most popular in the 1920s decade with 5,542 total births. The single peak year was 1922.
Where is Murray most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Murray are New York (6,585 births), Pennsylvania (1,042 births), Texas (741 births).
How long has the name Murray been used? ▼
Records for Murray go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Murray? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Murphy, Murry, Murl, Murad, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Murray's data
- Murray's decade-level peak was the 1920s (5,542 total births); usage has since declined to 295 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Murrays (6,585 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Murray
Nearby Names Like Murray
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Murray
Murphy Boy
#813 8,486 births
Murry Boy
3,085 births
Murl Boy
1,941 births
Murad Boy
#2979 1,133 births
Murrell Boy
1,098 births
Compare Murray side by side: Murray vs Murphy Murray vs Murry Murray vs Murl
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Murray
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Murray: #2716 Boys' Name - 21,908 Births, Peak 1922." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/murray. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Murray draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.