Muriel or Beryl?

Neither!

Beryl is fabulous

You can say it to sound a bit like a horse whinnying I guess: MiYOOOHUrrielll

I don't think its that far away from some rather pretty names like Miriam.

It's interesting that someone mentioned named having different connotations in different languages and cultures. One of the Beryls I knew of was Chinese and had chosen Beryl as her Western name. To her, it was a precious stone, no negative connotations.

Makes me think of syphilis

I have a Labrador called Beryl. It’s quite normal for people to ask her name and then laugh.

I agree with much of what you are saying about connotations, and also agree that Beryl is actually quite a musical or pretty name, compared with something like Maud.

I also agree that names come in and out of fashion, BUT I do think that particular era had some quite heavy-sounding names. I know some little Olives, and the effect of their sweetness (and they are) is still not working to erase the fact I don't thing the name is sweet or pretty.

One of them was a newborn when I met her, tucked up and only her little dark downy haired head on a white sheet visible, no body or little fists on show, and her eyes tightly shut. When they said Olive, I thought "That's exactly what she looks like." It was like the visual version of onamatopeia! She looked exactly like an olive lying on a tablecoth.

Usually with names I don't instantly like I can bring myself round to liking them by saying the name a few times, but with these two I'm just not getting it.
Muriel makes me think of a horse for some reason, but I have no idea why.

Yeah, but they're awful too!

It's nothing to do with being musical! If you are talking about Beryl, I like it and I'm musical. It's much more to do, in the majority of cases, with cultural connotations- people imagining old women in smock dresses smoking in doorways or something.

Different languages have different leanings as well. In Chinese the word Meng (pronounced Mung) is used a lot - I remember our class of English speakers thinking it sounded so ugly. But in Chinese it means dream, and is really beautiful. It definitely grew on me until the meaning made it seem beautiful. You can get used to different ideas of beauty depending on the context.

By which I mean when lots of young Beryls are running round, like the young Olives, people will change the pictures in their heads, old women smoking will be forgotten, and it will sound like a fun young name again as it once was.

You asked earlier why one letter should make a difference. Beryl v Meryl. Gracie is good, Tracie is not. One letter makes all the difference in the world.

But these names were popular at one point in time. A lot of names come in and out of fashion, so the perception of weird/pretty sounds in relation to names isn't always consistent.

Some people should just admit to themselves that they have no taste in names, just like some people have no taste in clothes. For the names, I'm wondering if it's that some people are tone-deaf and just not musical, so they don't perceive the difference between harsh, ugly, or weird sounds and pretty sounds.

My husband’s niece gave both her gorgeous daughters the most dreadful names of some of her deceased old aunties. The girls are way too beautiful for such dowdy names. We all still cringe hearing their names being called and I hate to think how they will fare at school.
I dislike Muriel because it reminds me of the movie ‘Muriel’s Wedding’
I think the suggestion a previous poster made of Merryn is a lovely name.

You will never please everyone with name choices but the only time I have used my given name is on my passport because I absolutely detest it! What was my mother thinking when she named me??

Good Luck with your choice.

On the Buses aired first in 1969 and ended in 1973. At that time my mother was 9 years old. She is now a retired grandmother! I don’t think anyone will have been thinking of that show since the 90s at a max

Oh dear, both are awful.

Myrtle?

Maud is bloody awful too!

I quite like Phyllis in an odd way.
The "naughty little sister" in the My Naughty Little Sister books by Dorothy Edwards was based on her real little sister named Phyllis - who was apparently known as Pip.
I love the idea of that mischievous, cute and stubborn red haired little girl being named Phyllis 😁
(she would be 106 if she was still alive today)

I don't really like the name Phyllis but the vibe of Phyllis (to me) is a cosy grandmotherly type who's generous with the biscuit tin. Edna and Maud are far too aloof for that.

Ah I love Mabel so much. This was for 25yo DD as well lol. DH wasn’t keen tho so it went on the no pile. Still like it tho. We were ahead of the curve haha (my mum hated our DCs’ names)

For sure, if OP had asked 5-10 years ago 'Olive or Mabel' she'd have got these exact same comments and now those names are everywhere!

Emerald? That's far worse, in my opinion!

Oddly, despite not liking all the old Edna and Maud revivals, I quite like Phyllis!

Railway children vibes.

Would defeat the object of the thread wouldn´t it? The op is asking for comments.