Explore the Family Name Murali

The meaning of Murali

Indian (mainly southern states): from a personal name based on a Sanskrit word meaning ‘flute’, a shortened form of Muralidharan. — Note: Since South Indians traditionally do not have hereditary surnames, the southern Indian name was in most cases registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Murali in the United States?

According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname 'Murali' saw a significant increase between 2000 and 2010. The rank of the surname advanced from 53,659 in 2000 to 31,107 in 2010, reflecting a substantial change of 42.03 percent. In terms of count, there was an even more dramatic increase of 106.65 percent, with the number of people bearing the surname 'Murali' increasing from 361 in 2000 to 746 in 2010. The proportion per 100,000 also rose from 0.13 in 2000 to 0.25 in 2010, suggesting that the surname has gained greater prevalence over this decade.

20002010Change
Rank#53,659#31,10742.03%
Count361746106.65%
Proportion per 100k0.130.2592.31%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Murali

The ethnic identity associated with the surname 'Murali' also saw some shifts between 2000 and 2010, as indicated by the Decennial U.S. Census data. The majority of individuals with this surname identify as Asian or Pacific Islander, which saw an increase from 91.69 percent in 2000 to 95.58 percent in 2010. However, the percentage of individuals identifying as two or more races saw a sharp decrease from 4.99 percent in 2000 to 1.47 percent in 2010. Similarly, the percentage of individuals who identify as white decreased slightly from 2.49 percent to 2.01 percent. There were no changes observed for those identifying as Hispanic, Black, American Indian, or Alaskan Native.

20002010Change
Asian/Pacific Islander91.69%95.58%4.24%
White2.49%2.01%-19.28%
Two or More Races4.99%1.47%-70.54%
Hispanic0%0%0%
Black0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%