Origins of the Murphy surname

What does the name Murphy mean?

The Murphy surname originates from Ireland, where it is still the most common surname on the island. Murphy is thought to come from the anglicisation of a number of similar Gaelic patronymic names, 'O Murchadha', and 'Mac Murchaidh', both coming from the given name 'Murchadh'. This Gaelic given name means 'sea warrior'.

Alternative variations of the name Murphy

Murphy, Murphie, Murfee, O' Murphy, Morphy

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Delve deeper into the Murphy family's history

OrkneyShetlandHighlandsWestern IslesGrampianTaysideCentralStrathclydeFifeLothianBordersDumfriesNorth East 1523North West 1047Isle of Man 51Yorkshire 1508East Midlands 197West Midlands 504East 865London 8863South East 1623South West 1572South Wales 419Mid Wales 153West Wales 5North Wales 40Republic of IrelandNorthern Ireland

In 1921, most Murphys lived in london

Census records trace your ancestors through each generation, so you can follow where your relatives lived through each decade.

380,000 Murphy Travel & migration records
210,000 Murphys found in all Census records

Interesting facts about Murphy

How common is your surname?

105th most common surname in the UK

We have for the Murphy surname. The oldest one dates back to 1575.

Who were Murphys most likely to marry?

Our tell us which families married Murphys.

What are the most common Murphy first names?

John

James

Mary

Margaret

Our tell us the names of Murphy family members
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Census records provide incredible detail on names, ages, marital statuses, occupations and more.

Common jobs for Murphys

Men and women often performed different types of jobs, so these are displayed by gender to maintain their historical accuracy.

Common female occupations for Murphys in 1921

Laundress

734

Charwoman

729

Domestic Servant

714

Dressmaker

702

Servant

620

Common male occupations for Murphys in 1921

General Labourer

1,988

Coal Miner

1,471

Dock Labourer

1,193

Tailor

956

Semiskilled Chauffeurs And Drivers

649

We found over 260,000 family trees with the Murphy surname

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