Muriel (given name)
| Muriel | |
|---|---|
|
| |
| Pronunciation | /ˈmjʊəriəl/ |
| Gender | Feminine |
| Language(s) | English |
| Origin | |
| Language(s) | Celtic |
| Other names | |
| Cognate(s) | Muireall (Scottish Gaelic), Muirgheal (Irish) |
Muriel /ˈmjʊəriəl/[1] is a feminine given name in the English language.
Origin/ history
Of Celtic origin and originally formatted as Muirgheal (muir sea/ gheal bright), the name Muriel - variously formatted - has long been evident in Breton, Irish, and Scottish Gaelic languages. The name was very common in mediaeval England, typically formatted as Merial, and unusual for a name of Celtic origin remained common after the Norman Conquest although rare from about 1300. Remaining common in Scotland as Muriel, the name in this form was introduced back into England [2] in the mid-19th century, facilitated by Dinah Craik's 1856 novel John Halifax, Gentleman whose title character's daughter is named Muriel; born in 1802 Muriel is said to be named "after the rather peculiar name of John's mother." [3] Usage of Muriel peaked in the early 1920s and has subsequently declined.[4]
List of persons with the given name
- Muriel Anderson (born 1960), American guitarist
- Muriel Angelus (1909–2004), British actress
- Muriel Barbery (born 1969), Moroccan-born French novelist
- Muriel Beaumont (1881–1957), British actress
- Muriel Bell (1898–1974), New Zealand nutritionist and researcher
- Muriel Box (1905–1991), British screenwriter and film director
- Muriel Brunskill (1899–1980), British contralto
- Muriel Casals i Couturier (1945–2016), French-born Catalan economist
- Muriel Davisson, American neuroscientist
- Muriel Day (born 1942), Irish singer
- Muriel Duckworth (1908–2009), Canadian activist
- Muriel Gray (born 1958), Scottish author, broadcaster and journalist
- Muriel Gustavo Becker (born 1987), Brazilian male footballer
- Muriel Kovitz (born 1926), Chancellor Emeritus of the University of Calgary and Community Volunteer
- Muriel Moody (1907- 1991), New Zealand ceramic artist
- Muriel Pavlow (born 1921), British actress
- Muriel Rukeyser (1913–1980), American poet and political activist
- Muriel Smith (1923–1985), American mezzo-soprano
- Muriel Spark (1919–2006), British novelist
List of fictional characters with the given name
- Muriel (Animal Farm), a wise old goat in George Orwell's novel Animal Farm
- Muriel, the main antagonist in the 2013 film Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters
- Muriel, hotel maid who was a recurring character in the family sitcom The Suite Life of Zack & Cody
- Muriel Bagge, one of the main characters in Courage the Cowardly Dog
- Chandler Muriel Bing, one of the male lead roles in the US TV sitcom Friends (1994-2004)
- Muriel Heslop, lead character in the iconic 1994 Australian film Muriel's Wedding
- Muriel McComber, teenage lead role in the Eugene O'Neill play Ah, Wilderness! (1933)
- Lady Muriel Orme, one of the main characters in Lewis Carroll's Sylvie and Bruno novels
- Muriel Pritchett, character in the Anne Tyler novel The Accidental Tourist (1985)
- Muriel Rush, female lead role in the sitcom Too Close for Comfort
- Muriel Stacy, Anne's teacher in Anne of Green Gables, which had a big influence upon the development of the main character
- Muriel Weasley, elderly gossipy great-aunt of Ron Weasley in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2009)
See also
References
- ↑ Muriel, Dictionary.com, retrieved 4 February 2011 which cited: Dictionary.com Unabridged, Random House.
- ↑ Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (2006), A Dictionary of First Names, Oxford Paperback Reference (2nd ed.), Oxford University Press, pp. 199, 352, 406, ISBN 978-0-19-861060-1
- ↑ Dinah Craik John Halifax, Gentleman Kessinger Publishing p. 262
- ↑ http://www.babynamespedia.com/meaning/Muriel