Murphy Unisex

Popularity: #615 · Trend: ↗ Rising

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: MUR-fee /ˈmɜr fi/

Origin: Irish; Gaelic

Meaning: Irish: sea warrior; Gaelic: descendant of the sea warrior

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Murphy is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic surname "Ó Murchadha," which means "descendant of Murchadh." The name Murchadh itself is composed of the elements "muir," meaning "sea," and "cath," meaning "battle," thus translating to "sea warrior" or "warrior of the sea." This surname was historically associated with the ancient Gaelic nobility and has been recorded in various forms over the centuries, including Murphey and O'Murphy, as it transitioned into English usage from the 17th century onward, particularly during the period of English colonization in Ireland. The Murphy surname has notable historical milestones, with references dating back to the 12th century when the O'Murchadha clan was prominent in the province of Leinster.

The name gained further recognition through various figures in Irish history, including military leaders and local chieftains. The 17th century saw the establishment of the Murphy name in English-speaking contexts, particularly after the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland, which led to the anglicization of many Irish surnames.

The name has also appeared in literature and folklore, contributing to its cultural significance. Culturally, the name Murphy has become emblematic of Irish heritage and identity, often associated with traits of resilience and strength, reflecting its etymological roots.

The name has been embraced in various forms of art, literature, and popular culture, symbolizing the enduring legacy of Irish surnames. Additionally, diminutive forms such as "Murph" have emerged in informal contexts, highlighting the name's adaptability and continued relevance in various social settings.

Famous people named Murphy

In this section, you will find notable people named Murphy. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Murphy who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Murphy who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Murphy Brown is a fictional character and journalist best known for the television series Murphy Brown.

Murphy Jensen is a former professional tennis player best known for winning the 1993 French Open men's doubles title.

Murphy Lee is a rapper best known for his work with the St. Lunatics and the album Murphy's Law.

Murphy McManus is a fictional character best known for the film The Boondock Saints.

Murphy's Law is a popular phrase and concept in engineering and project management, often attributed to various sources.

Fictional characters named Murphy

The following list of fictional characters named Murphy is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Murphy is a fictional character from the film RoboCop. He is a police officer who is transformed into a powerful cyborg after a near-fatal injury in the line of duty.

Murphy is a fictional character from the video game series Murphy's Law. They are a clever and resourceful character who navigates through various challenges using their wits.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Murphy, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

LiamFinnAidanConnorDeclanSeamus

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Murphy. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

MurrayMiloMalcolmMarcusMasonMaddoxMaverick

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Murphy was first seen in the United States in 1881.

Murphy has ranked as high as #594 nationally, which occurred in 2025, and has been most popular in Louisiana, Texas, California, North Carolina, and Ohio.

In the past 5 years the name Murphy has been trending up compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Murphy is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Murphy was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Murphy.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 1,124 341 783
2024 958 308 650
2023 846 258 588
2022 710 267 443
2021 612 214 398
2020 486 225 261
2019 362 185 177
2018 311 165 146
2017 313 165 148
2016 287 163 124
2015 237 149 88
2014 165 123 42
2013 134 103 31
2012 98 73 25
2011 128 102 26
2010 133 103 30
2009 114 90 24
2008 119 85 34
2007 102 82 20
2006 95 60 35
2005 99 67 32
2004 106 79 27
2003 91 57 34
2002 82 57 25
2001 65 46 19
2000 74 53 21
1999 68 39 29
1998 78 47 31
1997 72 47 25
1996 79 50 29
1995 90 57 33
1994 84 55 29
1993 78 51 27
1992 100 43 57
1991 117 73 44
1990 103 70 33
1989 89 60 29
1988 36 36 0
1987 32 26 6
1986 45 45 0
1985 25 25 0
1984 30 30 0
1983 25 25 0
1982 28 28 0
1981 35 35 0
1980 23 23 0
1979 46 46 0
1978 33 33 0
1977 29 29 0
1976 37 37 0
1975 32 32 0
1974 40 40 0
1973 26 26 0
1972 38 38 0
1971 39 39 0
1970 34 34 0
1969 21 21 0
1968 38 38 0
1967 26 26 0
1966 36 36 0
1965 37 37 0
1964 55 55 0
1963 53 53 0
1962 49 49 0
1961 38 38 0
1960 40 40 0
1959 46 46 0
1958 56 56 0
1957 40 40 0
1956 66 66 0
1955 59 59 0
1954 62 62 0
1953 64 64 0
1952 81 81 0
1951 61 61 0
1950 62 62 0
1949 66 66 0
1948 57 57 0
1947 57 57 0
1946 46 46 0
1945 42 42 0
1944 68 68 0
1943 68 63 5
1942 58 58 0
1941 60 60 0
1940 53 53 0
1939 69 64 5
1938 69 69 0
1937 53 53 0
1936 44 44 0
1935 65 60 5
1934 60 60 0
1933 53 53 0
1932 86 81 5
1931 66 59 7
1930 67 61 6
1929 66 66 0
1928 52 52 0
1927 89 89 0
1926 89 89 0
1925 68 68 0
1924 65 65 0
1923 83 83 0
1922 87 78 9
1921 65 65 0
1920 73 73 0
1919 80 73 7
1918 65 59 6
1917 79 73 6
1916 69 69 0
1915 67 61 6
1914 59 51 8
1913 28 28 0
1912 41 41 0
1911 18 18 0
1910 14 14 0
1909 15 15 0
1908 17 17 0
1907 21 21 0
1906 17 17 0
1905 17 17 0
1904 11 11 0
1903 22 17 5
1902 7 7 0
1901 9 9 0
1900 21 21 0
1898 11 6 5
1897 14 14 0
1896 6 6 0
1895 11 11 0
1894 8 8 0
1893 13 13 0
1892 16 16 0
1891 6 6 0
1890 6 6 0
1888 5 5 0
1886 7 7 0
1885 5 5 0
1883 7 7 0
1881 6 6 0

Top States for Murphy (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
TX 74
9%
CA 61
7%
OH 49
6%
MI 42
5%
TN 36
4%
IL 35
4%
GA 34
4%
NY 33
4%
FL 31
4%
VA 31
4%
MN 30
3%
CO 30
3%
IN 29
3%
MO 28
3%
AL 26
3%
PA 25
3%
NC 24
3%
WA 24
3%
IA 24
3%
WI 24
3%
UT 21
2%
ID 17
2%
KY 14
2%
AZ 14
2%
OK 14
2%
AR 12
1%
MT 11
1%
OR 10
1%
SC 10
1%
KS 10
1%
LA 9
1%
ND 8
1%
NE 8
1%
MA 7
1%
SD 7
1%
MS 5
1%