Murphy
The anglicized form of Irish O Murchadha, descendant of Murchadh, a name combining words for sea and battle. It is the commonest surname in Ireland.
Murphy in 2025
Murphy was given to 1,124 babies in the United States in 2025 — 341 boys and 783 girls, making it the 595th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 2,950 babies born.
The history of Murphy
Murphy reached its highest point in 2025, when 1,124 babies were given the name, ranking 595th that year.
Across the 145 years of records since 1881, 13,174 babies have been named Murphy. Half of them were born before 2012, which places the name's centre of gravity with Generation Z.
Murphy by decade
| Decade | Babies named Murphy | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 30 | 1,509 |
| 1890s | 91 | 1,239 |
| 1900s | 157 | 1,154 |
| 1910s | 520 | 1,401 |
| 1920s | 737 | 1,401 |
| 1930s | 632 | 1,342 |
| 1940s | 575 | 1,647 |
| 1950s | 597 | 1,767 |
| 1960s | 393 | 2,473 |
| 1970s | 354 | 3,303 |
| 1980s | 368 | 2,615 |
| 1990s | 869 | 2,314 |
| 2000s | 947 | 3,139 |
| 2010s | 2,168 | 1,447 |
| 2020s | 4,736 | 595 |
Where Murphy is heading
Murphy has grown more than 4.7 times over the past decade, from 237 babies in 2015 to 1,124 in 2025.
Names like Murphy
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Murphy.