2000
#7,762
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,947
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.46
Rare Last name
Murphey
An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Murchadha, meaning "descendant of Murchadh" (sea warrior).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,300 Americans carry the last name Murphey. That puts it at #8,452 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.25 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 79,710 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Murphey surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Murphey with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.3K
1 in 79,710
Census rank
#8,452
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,750 bearers of the surname Murphey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.25 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8452nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Murphey, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Black (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Murphey
The surname Murphey has its origins in Ireland, where it emerged as a prominent family name during the Middle Ages. It is believed to be derived from the Gaelic words "muir" meaning "sea" and "chú" meaning "hound" or "protector," suggesting that the name may have been originally associated with a sea-watcher or coastal guardian.
The name Murphey is a variant spelling of the more common Irish surname Murphy, which has been recorded in various forms throughout history, including O'Morfaidh, O'Murfith, and O'Murphey. These variations are believed to have stemmed from the patronymic system, where prefixes like "O'" were used to denote descent from an ancestor.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Murphey can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. The annals mention several individuals with the surname, including Domhnall O'Murfith, who was involved in a battle in County Sligo in the year 1270.
Another notable figure bearing the surname Murphey was Patrick Murphey, a Catholic priest and author who lived in the 17th century. He is known for his work "The Life and Writings of St. Patrick," published in 1653, which provided valuable insights into the life and legacy of Ireland's patron saint.
In the 18th century, John Murphey (1714-1798) was a prominent Irish-American merchant and politician from Philadelphia. He served as a delegate to the Continental Congress and played a role in the American Revolutionary War.
Moving forward to the 19th century, we find Edward Murphey (1805-1882), an American jurist and legal scholar from North Carolina. He served as a judge and wrote influential works on legal topics, contributing significantly to the development of American jurisprudence.
Another notable figure with the surname Murphey was Frank Murphey (1894-1985), an American writer and journalist. He is best known for his novel "The Disciples of Freedom," which explored the theme of freedom and human rights in the context of the American Civil War.
These examples demonstrate the rich history and diverse backgrounds associated with the surname Murphey, which has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including clergy, politicians, scholars, and authors, throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Murphey
Among Census respondents with the surname Murphey, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Black (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Murphey bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Murphey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.7% · 3,288
- Two or more races3.9% · 148
- Black or African American3.7% · 140
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 116
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 34
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 24
Timeline
Historical Census data for Murphey
Murphey appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#8,254
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,013
+66 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 1.36
Rank movement Down 492 places
2020
#8,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,750
-263 bearers (-6.6%)
Per 100,000 1.25
Rank movement Down 198 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,762 | 3,947 | 1.46 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,254 | 4,013 | 1.36 | +66 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 492 places |
| 2020 | #8,452 | 3,750 | 1.25 | -263 bearers (-6.6%) | Down 198 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Murphey surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #8,254 | #8,452 | -2.4% |
| Count | 4,013 | 3,750 | -6.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.36 | 1.25 | -7.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Murphey bearers went from 4,013 to 3,750 (-6.6% change). The surname moved down 198 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,254 to #8,452.
FAQ
Murphey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Murphey?
Name Census estimates that about 4,300 living Americans carry the surname Murphey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 79,710 residents.
How common is Murphey?
Murphey ranks #8,452 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.25 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,750 people with the surname Murphey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,300), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.25 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.25 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Murphey.
Has Murphey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Murphey went from 4,013 recorded bearers to 3,750. That is a decrease of 263 (-6.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,254 to #8,452.
What does the Census say about the background of Murphey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Murphey, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Black (3.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Murphey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.7% (3,288 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Murphey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.7%), Two or More Races (3.9%), Black (3.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Murphey (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Murphey mean?
An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Murchadha, meaning "descendant of Murchadh" (sea warrior). The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Murphey (1.25 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Murphey?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.