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

Murtha, 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 Murtha surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Murtha in America

Murtha is the 9137th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Murtha surname appeared 3,573 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Murtha.

We can also compare 2010 data for Murtha 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 Murtha

The surname Murtha has its origins in Ireland, where it first emerged in the early Middle Ages. It is derived from the Gaelic personal name "Muireach," which means "sea-bright" or "sea-king." This suggests that the name may have been borne by those with maritime connections or those who lived near the coast.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. It mentions a "Muireach O'Flaherty" who was a chieftain of the O'Flaherty clan in the 13th century.

The Murtha surname is most closely associated with County Mayo in the western province of Connacht, where it is believed to have originated. However, it also has a strong presence in counties such as Galway, Clare, and Limerick, reflecting the migration patterns of Irish families over the centuries.

In the 16th century, the Murtha name appears in the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, a collection of records documenting royal decrees and appointments in Ireland. One notable individual was Shane Murtha, who was appointed as a constable in County Mayo in 1579.

The name has been spelled in various ways throughout history, including Murthy, Murtagh, and Murtagh-Murtha. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and the transition from Gaelic to English orthography.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Murtha name was John Murtha, born in 1722 in County Mayo. He was a prominent landowner and served as a member of the Irish Parliament in the late 18th century.

Another notable figure was Michael Murtha (1834-1909), an Irish-American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania. He played a key role in the establishment of the Union League of Philadelphia during the American Civil War.

In the 20th century, John P. Murtha (1932-2010) was a prominent U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania, known for his advocacy of veterans' issues and his opposition to the Iraq War. He served in the United States Marine Corps and was awarded the Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts for his service in the Korean War and the Vietnam War.

Other historical figures with the Murtha surname include Patrick Murtha (1892-1962), an Irish-American prelate who served as the Bishop of Manchester, New Hampshire, and James Murtha (1888-1966), an Irish-American labor leader and politician who served as the President of the United Mine Workers of America.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Murtha

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

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 Murtha 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 Murtha 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 Murtha was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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