Find out how popular the last name Murphy is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Murphy.

Murphy, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Murphy surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Murphy in America

Murphy is the 64th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Murphy surname appeared 308,417 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 105 people would have the surname Murphy.

We can also compare 2010 data for Murphy to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Murphy

The surname Murphy is of Irish origin and can be traced back to the ancient Gaelic name Ó Murchadha, meaning "descendant of Murchadh." Murchadh was a personal name derived from the word "muir," meaning sea, and "cath," meaning battle, suggesting a possible meaning of "sea warrior."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Murphy surname dates back to the 10th century when it appeared in the Annals of Ulster, an ancient Irish chronicle. The name was particularly prominent in the counties of Wexford, Carlow, and Kilkenny, where various septs (clans) of the Murphy family held lands and influence.

In medieval times, the Murphy clan played a significant role in Irish history. One notable figure was Diarmaid Mac Murchadha, also known as Dermot MacMurrough, who was the King of Leinster in the 12th century. His involvement in a conflict with the High King of Ireland, Roderic O'Connor, led to the Norman invasion of Ireland in 1169, which had lasting consequences for the island's history.

Another historically significant Murphy was Domhnall Ó Murchadha, who served as the Bishop of Lismore in the 14th century. He was known for his efforts in promoting education and the establishment of schools in his diocese.

In the 16th century, during the Tudor conquest of Ireland, many Murphy families were dispossessed of their lands and forced to relocate to other parts of the country. This led to the widespread distribution of the name across Ireland.

Over the centuries, the Murphy surname has been anglicized and has evolved through various spellings, including O'Murchadha, O'Murchadh, O'Murchu, and Murchoe, before settling on the more familiar form of Murphy.

Notable individuals with the Murphy surname throughout history include:

1. Audie Murphy (1924-1971), an American soldier and actor who became one of the most decorated U.S. soldiers during World War II.
2. Gerard Murphy (1888-1964), an American painter and patron of the arts, known for his support of the American avant-garde movement.
3. John Murphy (1786-1843), an Irish mathematician and chemist who made significant contributions to the field of optics.
4. Patrick Murphy (1920-2011), an Irish politician and Fianna Fáil party leader who served as the Minister for Local Government and Minister for Economic Planning and Development.
5. Robert Murphy (1924-2018), an American diplomat and author who served as the U.S. Ambassador to various countries, including Saudi Arabia and Syria.

The Murphy surname has been widely dispersed across the globe, reflecting the Irish diaspora, and continues to hold a strong cultural significance as a testament to its rich historical roots.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Murphy

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Murphy.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Murphy was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Murphy has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Murphy was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Murphy, please contact us.

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