Murphy Explained

Murphy
Meaning:	Sea Warrior
Region:	Ireland
Language:	Irish
Variant:	Murchadh, Murphey, MacMurphy, Morphy, O'Morchoe, O'Murphy, Ó Murchú, Murpy, Murphree

Murphy is an Irish surname.

Origins and variants

The surname is a variant of two Irish surnames: "Ó Murchadha"/"Ó Murchadh" (descendant of "Murchadh"), and "Mac Murchaidh"/"Mac Murchadh" (son of "Murchadh")^[1] derived from the Irish personal name "Murchadh", which meant sea-warrior or sea-battler^[2] (muir meaning sea and cath meaning battle).

According to historian C. Thomas Cairney, the O'Murphys were one of the chiefly families of the Uí Ceinnselaig who in turn were a tribe from the Dumnonii or Laigin who were the third wave of Celts to settle in Ireland during the first century BC.^[3] The O'Murphys as one of the chiefly families of the Uí Ceinnselaig is supported by John O'Hart in his 1892 Irish Pedigrees; or, The Origin and Stem of The Irish Nation.^[4]

Murchadh is reported to have been gripped with a boiling awful rage, an extreme elevation and greatness of spirit and intellect when he joined the middle of the action and prepared to assail the foreign invaders, the Danes, after they had repulsed the Dal gCais. A gallantry and championship bird rose inside him and fluttered above his head and on his breath.^[5]

In modern Irish, "Ó Murchú" or Mac Murchú rather than Mac/Ó Murchadha", is used.

"Murphy" is the most common surname in Ireland, the fourteenth most common surname in Northern Ireland, and the fifty-eighth most common surname in the United States.^[6]

People with the surname

Men

• Aaron Murphy (born 1988), English rugby league player
• Andrae Murphy (born 1986), American football player and coach
• Anthony Murphy (cricketer) (born 1962), English cricketer
• Arthur Murphy (disambiguation), multiple people
• Audie Murphy (1925–1971), American war hero and actor
• Austin J. Murphy (1927–2024), American politician
• Barnes Murphy (born 1947), Irish Gaelic footballer
• Bos Murphy (1924–2000), New Zealand boxer
• Brian Murphy (disambiguation), multiple people
• Buddy Murphy, Australian professional wrestler
• Byron Murphy (born 1998), American football player
• Byron Murphy II (born 2002), American football player
• Caleb Murphy (born 1999), American football player
• Calvin Murphy (born 1948), American basketball player
• Charles Murphy (disambiguation), multiple people
• Chris Murphy (born 1973), American politician
• Ciarán Murphy, Irish politician
• Cillian Murphy (born 1976), Irish actor
• Colin Murphy (disambiguation), multiple people
• Colm Murphy (1952–2023), Irish alleged suspect in the Omagh bombing
• Connor Murphy (born 1993), American ice hockey player
• Conor Murphy, Sinn Féin politician in Northern Ireland
• Dale Murphy (born 1956), American retired baseball player
• Dale D. Murphy, professor at Georgetown University
• Daniel Murphy (disambiguation), multiple people
• Darren Murphy (born 1985), Irish footballer
• Darren Murphy (Australian rules footballer) (born 1964)
• Darren Murphy (1961–2012), bassist with the British punk rock/post-punk band Wasted Youth
• Daryl Murphy, Irish football player
• David Murphy (disambiguation), multiple people
• Derek Murphy (born 1968), American rapper better known as Sadat X
• Dick Murphy (born 1942), American retired Republican politician
• Donald E. Murphy (born 1960), American Republican politician
• Donnie Murphy (born 1983), American baseball player
• Eddie Murphy (disambiguation), multiple people
• Edward Murphy (disambiguation), multiple people
• Elliott Murphy (born 1949), American singer/songwriter
• Erik Murphy (born 1990), American–Finnish basketball player
• Everett J. Murphy (1852–1922), politician
• Francis Murphy (disambiguation), multiple people
• Frank Murphy (disambiguation), multiple people
• Fred Murphy (disambiguation), multiple people
• Gary Murphy (1972), Irish professional golfer
• Gary Murphy (1948), New Zealand cricketer
• Geoff Murphy (1938–2018), New Zealand filmmaker
• Geoffrey Mostyn Murphy (1922–2011), Australian boxer, better known as Tommy Burns
• Glen Murphy (1957), British actor
• George Murphy (1902–1992), American dancer, actor, and Republican Senator
• Grayson Murphy (disambiguation)
• Harold Lloyd Murphy (1927–2022), American judge
• Henry Murphy (disambiguation), multiple people
• Isaac Murphy (1802–1882), Republican Governor of Arkansas
• Isaac Burns Murphy (1861–1896), American Hall-of-Fame jockey
• Isaiah Murphy, a.k.a. Shinsaku Enomoto, (born 1998), Japanese basketball player
• Jack Murphy (disambiguation), multiple people
• Jacob Murphy (born 1995), English footballer
• James Murphy (disambiguation), multiple people, people named James or Jimmy
• Jim Murphy (disambiguation), multiple people
• John Murphy (disambiguation), multiple people
• Joseph Murphy (disambiguation), multiple people
• Josh Murphy (born 1995), English footballer
• Kevin Murphy (disambiguation), multiple people
• Kieran Murphy (disambiguation), multiple people
• Lambert Murphy (1885–?), American operatic tenor
• Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. (born 1974), American singer, winner of season 6 of America's Got Talent
• Larry Murphy (disambiguation), multiple people
• Lawrence Murphy (disambiguation), multiple people
• Lionel Murphy (1922–1986), Australian politician and jurist
• Loren E. Murphy (1882–1963), American jurist
• Marc Murphy (footballer) (born 1987), Australian rules footballer
• Mark Murphy (disambiguation), multiple people
• Martin Murphy (disambiguation), multiple people
• Matt Murphy (disambiguation), multiple people
• Maurice Murphy (actor) (1913–1978), American actor
• Michael Murphy (disambiguation), multiple people, people named Michael, Mick or Mike
• Mickey Murphy (born 1985), Gaelic footballer
• Miles Murphy (born 1967), Australian sprinter
• Myles Murphy (disambiguation), multiple people
• Nicholas Murphy (born 1978), Gaelic footballer
• Nicholas Daniel Murphy (1811–1890), Irish politician from Cork, Member of Parliament (MP) 1865–1880
• Nick Murphy (disambiguation), multiple people
• Oakes Murphy (1849–1908), two-time Governor of Arizona Territory
• Pat Murphy (disambiguation), multiple people
• Patricia Murphy (disambiguation), multiple people
• Patrick Murphy (disambiguation), multiple people
• Paul Murphy (disambiguation), multiple people
• Peter Murphy (disambiguation), multiple people
• Phil Murphy (disambiguation), multiple people, people named Phil, Philip or Phillip
• Richard Murphy (disambiguation), multiple people, people named Richard, some nicknamed Dick
• Robert Murphy (disambiguation), multiple people, people named Robert, Rob, Bob or Bobby
• Roger P. Murphy, American legislator and jurist
• Ryan Murphy (disambiguation), multiple people
• Scott Murphy, American entrepreneur and politician
• Scott Murphy (video game designer), a programmer behind the Space Quest series
• Sean Murphy (disambiguation), multiple people
• Sebastian Murphy (Captain, Founding Father of Utuado, Puerto Rico), b. circa 1696
• Shaun Murphy (disambiguation), multiple people
• Shawn Murphy (disambiguation), multiple people
• Stephen Murphy (disambiguation), multiple people
• Storm Murphy (born 1999), American basketball player
• Sydney Murphy (born 1960), Vincentian retired cricketer
• Timothy Murphy (disambiguation), multiple people, people named Timothy or Tim
• Thomas Murphy (disambiguation), multiple people, people named Thomas or Tom
• Trent Murphy (2013), outside linebacker in the National Football League; played for the Washington Redskins and Buffalo Bills
• Troy Murphy, power forward for the Boston Celtics
• Vincent B. Murphy, New York State Comptroller 1925–1926
• Vincent J. Murphy, Mayor of Newark 1941–1949
• Wendell H. Murphy, American politician
• William Murphy (disambiguation), multiple people,
• Yale Murphy (1869–1906), American baseball player
• Yo Murphy (born 1971), American former football player

Women

• Ashling Murphy, Irish teacher; suspected of being murdered
• Alexis Murphy, American murder victim
• Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe (born 1995), Irish rugby sevens and union player
• Annie Murphy (born 1986), Canadian actress
• Brittany Murphy (1977–2009), American actress
• Dervla Murphy (1931–2022), travel writer
• Carolyn Murphy (born 1975), American model
• Claudia Quigley Murphy (1863–1941), American journalist, economic consultant, advisory counsel, author
• Diana E. Murphy (1934–2018), American judge
• Donna Murphy (born 1958), American Tony Award-winning actress
• Erin Murphy (disambiguation), multiple people
• Gail C. Murphy, Canadian computer scientist
• Gillian Murphy, principal dancer at American Ballet Theatre
• Jess Murphy, New Zealand-born chef based in Galway, Ireland
• Julie Murphy (singer) (born 1961), Welsh singer
• Julie Murphy (author), American novelist
• Kelly Murphy (born 1977), American author and illustrator
• Kelly Noonan Murphy (born 1974 or 1975), American politician
• Margaret Mary Healy Murphy (1833–1907), American Catholic nun
• Mary Murphy (disambiguation), multiple people
• Maureen Murphy (ice hockey) (born 1999), American ice hockey player
• Peta Murphy (1973–2023), Australian politician
• Róisín Murphy (born 1973), Irish electronica singer, songwriter, and producer
• Shaun Murphy (singer), a.k.a. Stoney, American singer
• Stephanie Murphy, Vietnamese-American politician
• Stephanie J. Murphy, American veterinary scientist
• Tammy Murphy (born 1965), American banker
• Yi Lu Murphey, American electrical engineer

Fictional characters

• Meg Murphy, the main character in the movie, Jinxed (2013)
• Murphy Cooper, in the film Interstellar
• Captain Ed Murphy, a character in the 1987 American buddy cop action movie Lethal Weapon
• Captain Murphy from the Adult Swim animated series Sealab 2021
• Alex James Murphy, the police officer who became RoboCop
• Alexis "Lex" Murphy, in the film Jurassic Park
• Frank, Sue, Bill, Kevin, and Maureen Murphy from the Netflix original F Is for Family
• "Bleeding Gums" Murphy, on the cartoon TV series The Simpsons
• Bridey Murphy, historical character in a hypnotic regression case detailed in Bernstein's The Search for Bridey Murphy
• Coach Murphy, a character in the 2009 American fantasy comedy movie 17 Again
• Colin Murphy (Days of Our Lives), in the American soap opera Days of Our Lives
• Connor Murphy, from the musical Dear Evan Hansen
• Elise Murphy, from the 2024 movie Tarot
• Eric Murphy, in the HBO series Entourage
• Frank Murphy, in the movie Blue Thunder (1983)
• Hank Murphy, in the TV series Sullivan & Son (2012)
• John Murphy, in the TV series The 100
• Karrin Murphy, in Jim Butcher's novel series The Dresden Files (named Connie Murphy in the TV series of the same title)
• Ken Murphy, a character in the 2009 American romantic comedy-drama movie He's Just Not That Into You
• Milo Murphy, in the American animated TV series Milo Murphy's Law
• Professor Michael Murphy, the protagonist in the Babylon Rising series by Tim LaHaye
• Randle Patrick McMurphy, one of the main characters in Ken Kesey's novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1962)
• Ray Murphy, birth name of Gino Esposito, in the Australian soap opera Neighbours
• Sean Murphy (Oz), in the HBO TV drama series Oz
• Sergeant Murphy, a fictional character in the Richard Scarry books
• Susan Murphy, aka Ginormica, one of the main protagonists of the film Monsters vs. Aliens
• Alvin Bernard Murphy, in the TV series Z Nation

See also

• Justice Murphy (disambiguation)
• Murph (disambiguation)
• Pre-Norman invasion Irish Celtic kinship groups, from whom many of the modern Irish surnames came from

Notes and References

1. Book: Brewer, Paul. Ireland: History, People, Culture. Running Press. 2002. 351 . 0-7624-1269-0.
2. Book: MacLysaght, Edward. The Surnames of Ireland. Irish Academic Press. 1991. 221 . 978-0-7165-2366-6.
3. Book: Cairney, C. Thomas . 1989 . Clans and Families of Ireland and Scotland . Jefferson, North Carolina, United States, and London . . 78–85 . 0899503624.
4. Book: O'Hart, John . John O'Hart . 1892 . Irish Pedigrees; or, The Origin and Stem of The Irish Nation . 5th . 1 . . . 692-707.
5. Book: Hennessey, W. M.. The Ancient Irish Goddess of War. 28 September 2020 . Library of Alexandria . 307 . 978-1-6131-0276-3.
6. Web site: Genealogy Data: Frequently Occurring Surnames from Census 2000 . Census.gov . 19 April 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20091221003828/http://www.census.gov/genealogy/www/data/2000surnames/index.html . 21 December 2009 . dmy-all .