Muriel History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Spain

Muriel is a name that first reached England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. It comes from the personal name Muriel, which is composed of the Celtic elements muir, which means sea, and gael, which means bright. This personal name was extremely common during the Middle Ages in Continental Europe. It was introduced to England by the Breton settlers who accompanied Norman the Conqueror. In Northern England, the name was also imported by the Norsemen from Ireland and in Western England the name developed as a result of Welsh influence. 1

Early Origins of the Muriel family

The surname Muriel was first found in Lancashire where one of the first records of the name was Ougrim filius Miriel who was listed there in the Pipe Rolls of 1188. A few years later, Mirielis, Muriella de Stokes was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls of Buckinghamshire in 1203 and later Johannes filius Miriald was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls of Yorkshire in 1208. Continuing in Lancashire, Godric Miriild, Mirild, Mirield was listed in the Pipe Rolls (1184-1188) and Robert, Richard Muriel was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1195. By this time some of the family was found in Suffolk where John Myrel was listed in the Subsidy Rolls in 1327, Richard Meryel and Walter Merel was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of 1381. 2 The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list: Matilda Miriel in Cambridgeshire; Henry filius Mirield in Lincolnshire; Robert filius Muriel in Huntingdonshire; Thomas filius Muriel in Shropshire; and Richard Miriel in Norfolk. 3

Early History of the Muriel family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Muriel research. Another 69 words (5 lines of text) covering the year 1350 is included under the topic Early Muriel History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Muriel Spelling Variations

Before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Sound was what guided spelling in the Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Muriel family name include Merrill, Meyrill, Merell, Merells, Meyrell and many more.

Early Notables of the Muriel family

More information is included under the topic Early Muriel Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Muriel migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious chaos of this era, thousands of English families began to migrate to the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. The passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe; however, those who made the voyage safely were encountered opportunities that were not available to them in their homeland. Many of the families that reached the New World at this time went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. Research into various historical records has revealed some of first members of the Muriel family to immigrate North America:

Muriel Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Felipe Muriel, who arrived in Puerto Rico in 1860 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Muriel (post 1700) +

Ellen Muriel Deason (1919-2012), birth name of Kitty Wells, an American country music singer awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and the nickname Queen of Country Music
June Muriel Brown OBE (1927-2022), English actress and author, best known for her role as Dot Cotton on the BBC soap opera EastEnders (1985–1993; 1997–2020)
Mrs. Vivienne Muriel Morgan M.B.E. (b. 1943), British Founder and Proprietor of Northleigh House School, was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire on 29th December 2018 for services to Education 5
Eileen Muriel Younghusband BEM (1921-2016), née Le Croissette, British filter officer Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) in World War II
Lieutenant Gordon Muriel Flowerdew (1885-1918), Canadian recipient of the Victoria Cross during the First World War 6
Diana Muriel Warnock (b. 1940), former Western Australian radio broadcaster, women's rights activist and state politician
Lady Ann Muriel Gammans (1898-1989), British Conservative politician
Muriel Agnes Heagney (1885-1974), Australian trade unionist and feminist and lifetime campaigner for equal pay for women workers, inducted into the Victorian Honour Roll of Women in 2001
Muriel Burles, French actress, known for her leading role in Catriana et l'Enfant (1994)
Muriel Rose Phillips (1921-2022), American military veteran, writer, and public speaker who was widely recognised for her service as a United States Army nurse during World War II, awarded the Legion of Honour, France's highest honor

Citations +

Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
"Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62507, 28 December 2018 | London Gazette, The Gazette, Dec. 2018, www.thegazette.co.uk/honours-lists
The Canadian Virtual War Memorial (CVWM). (Retrieved 2010, September 27) Gordon Flowerdew. Retrieved from http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/remembers/sub.cfm?source=collections/virtualmem/Detail&casualty=38211