2000
#9,256
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,240
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.20
Rare Last name
Murtha
An Irish surname derived from Ó Muireadhaigh, meaning "descendant of Muireadhach," an old Irish personal name meaning "lord" or "master."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,509 Americans carry the last name Murtha. That puts it at #10,045 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.02 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 97,679 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Murtha 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 Murtha with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.5K
1 in 97,679
Census rank
#10,045
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,060 bearers of the surname Murtha in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.02 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10045th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Murtha, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Murtha
Among Census respondents with the surname Murtha, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Murtha 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 Murtha surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.5% · 2,801
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 107
- Two or more races3.3% · 100
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 21
- Black or African American0.6% · 18
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Murtha
Murtha 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
#9,137
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,573
+333 bearers (+10.3%)
Per 100,000 1.21
Rank movement Up 119 places
2020
#10,045
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,060
-513 bearers (-14.4%)
Per 100,000 1.02
Rank movement Down 908 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,256 | 3,240 | 1.20 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,137 | 3,573 | 1.21 | +333 bearers (+10.3%) | Up 119 places |
| 2020 | #10,045 | 3,060 | 1.02 | -513 bearers (-14.4%) | Down 908 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 Murtha 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 | #9,137 | #10,045 | -9.9% |
| Count | 3,573 | 3,060 | -14.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.21 | 1.02 | -15.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Murtha bearers went from 3,573 to 3,060 (-14.4% change). The surname moved down 908 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,137 to #10,045.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Murtha
FAQ
Murtha surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Murtha?
Name Census estimates that about 3,509 living Americans carry the surname Murtha. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 97,679 residents.
How common is Murtha?
Murtha ranks #10,045 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.02 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 3,060 people with the surname Murtha. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,509), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.02 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.02 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 Murtha.
Has Murtha become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Murtha went from 3,573 recorded bearers to 3,060. That is a decrease of 513 (-14.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,137 to #10,045.
What does the Census say about the background of Murtha?
Among Census respondents with the surname Murtha, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Murtha in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (2,801 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Murtha appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.5%), Hispanic (3.5%), Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Murtha (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 Murtha mean?
An Irish surname derived from Ó Muireadhaigh, meaning "descendant of Muireadhach," an old Irish personal name meaning "lord" or "master." 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 Murtha (1.02 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 common is the surname Murtha?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Murtha on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.