Murphy
Unisex · MUR-fee · Irish
Unisex
Murphy is a name of Irish origin, meaning “descendant of the sea warrior”. In 2025 it ranked 617th for boys in the UK (68 babies) and 397th for girls in the US (783 babies).
What does Murphy mean?
Irish: from the surname O Murchadha
“descendant of the sea warrior”
From the Irish surname O Murchadha, 'descendant of Murchadh', a personal name meaning sea warrior.
- Say it
- MUR-fee
More on Wiktionary.
Is Murphy a girl's or a boy's name?
In recent years, Murphy has been given to both girls and boys. In 2025, it was given to 56 girls and 68 boys in the UK and 783 girls and 341 boys in the US.
How popular is Murphy in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #617among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 68about 1 in 4,400 boys
- Five-year trend
- Rising fastup 142% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 68 boys in the UK were named Murphy, making it the 617th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,241st. Its busiest year was 2024, with 78 boys. 56 girls were also named Murphy in 2025 (723rd for girls).
Half of all the boys named Murphy in the UK since 1996 were born between 2011 and 2023, the years shaded on the chart below.
Girls were 8% of the babies named Murphy in the UK in 2003, and 45% in 2025.
Among boys in 2025, it was 593rd in England and Wales and 762nd in Scotland.
Murphy in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 68 | #617 |
| 2024 | 78 | #551 |
| 2023 | 55 | #710 |
| 2022 | 36 | #939 |
| 2021 | 49 | #773 |
| 2020 | 23 | #1,241 |
| 2019 | 24 | #1,193 |
| 2018 | 36 | #919 |
| 2017 | 33 | #1,010 |
| 2016 | 30 | #1,056 |
| 2015 | 26 | #1,140 |
| 2014 | 16 | #1,573 |
| 2013 | 14 | #1,715 |
| 2012 | 16 | #1,622 |
| 2011 | 18 | #1,433 |
| 2010 | 12 | #1,887 |
| 2009 | 15 | #1,582 |
| 2008 | 18 | #1,378 |
| 2007 | 26 | #1,031 |
| 2006 | 17 | #1,302 |
| 2005 | 17 | #1,267 |
| 2004 | 20 | #1,071 |
| 2003 | 11 | #1,498 |
| 2002 | 8 | #1,728 |
| 2001 | 6 | #2,049 |
| 2000 | 4 | #2,612 |
| 1999 | 1 | #3,925 |
| 1998 | 4 | #2,531 |
| 1997 | 6 | #1,853 |
| 1996 | 1 | #3,776 |
How popular is Murphy in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #397among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 783about 1 in 2,100 girls
- Five-year trend
- Rising fastup 246% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 783 girls in the US were named Murphy, making it the 397th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 976th. It first appears in the records in 1898. 341 boys were also named Murphy in 2025 (754th for boys).
It has been given to more girls each year for the last 7 years. 2025 had the most girls named Murphy of any year since it first appeared, in 1898.
Half of all the girls named Murphy in the US since 1880 were born between 2017 and 2024, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 878 girls in the US were given Murphy or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #375, up from #397 for this spelling alone.
In 1914, 14% of the babies named Murphy in the US were girls. By 2025 it was 70%, with more girls than boys since 2020.
Murphy in the US, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 783 | #397 |
| 2024 | 650 | #474 |
| 2023 | 588 | #516 |
| 2022 | 443 | #667 |
| 2021 | 398 | #719 |
| 2020 | 261 | #976 |
| 2019 | 177 | #1,295 |
| 2018 | 146 | #1,497 |
| 2017 | 148 | #1,495 |
| 2016 | 124 | #1,712 |
| 2015 | 88 | #2,152 |
| 2014 | 42 | #3,650 |
| 2013 | 31 | #4,541 |
| 2012 | 25 | #5,396 |
| 2011 | 26 | #5,205 |
| 2010 | 30 | #4,734 |
| 2009 | 24 | #5,707 |
| 2008 | 34 | #4,447 |
| 2007 | 20 | #6,548 |
| 2006 | 35 | #4,164 |
| 2005 | 32 | #4,263 |
| 2004 | 27 | #4,812 |
| 2003 | 34 | #3,942 |
| 2002 | 25 | #4,763 |
| 2001 | 19 | #5,817 |
| 2000 | 21 | #5,307 |
| 1999 | 29 | #3,966 |
| 1998 | 31 | #3,727 |
| 1997 | 25 | #4,236 |
| 1996 | 29 | #3,718 |
| 1995 | 33 | #3,352 |
| 1994 | 29 | #3,699 |
| 1993 | 27 | #3,872 |
| 1992 | 57 | #2,290 |
| 1991 | 44 | #2,697 |
| 1990 | 33 | #3,292 |
| 1989 | 29 | #3,471 |
| 1988 | 0 | – |
| 1987 | 6 | #9,820 |
| 1986 | 0 | – |
| 1985 | 0 | – |
| 1984 | 0 | – |
| 1983 | 0 | – |
| 1982 | 0 | – |
| 1981 | 0 | – |
| 1980 | 0 | – |
| 1979 | 0 | – |
| 1978 | 0 | – |
| 1977 | 0 | – |
| 1976 | 0 | – |
| 1975 | 0 | – |
| 1974 | 0 | – |
| 1973 | 0 | – |
| 1972 | 0 | – |
| 1971 | 0 | – |
| 1970 | 0 | – |
| 1969 | 0 | – |
| 1968 | 0 | – |
| 1967 | 0 | – |
| 1966 | 0 | – |
| 1965 | 0 | – |
| 1964 | 0 | – |
| 1963 | 0 | – |
| 1962 | 0 | – |
| 1961 | 0 | – |
| 1960 | 0 | – |
| 1959 | 0 | – |
| 1958 | 0 | – |
| 1957 | 0 | – |
| 1956 | 0 | – |
| 1955 | 0 | – |
| 1954 | 0 | – |
| 1953 | 0 | – |
| 1952 | 0 | – |
| 1951 | 0 | – |
| 1950 | 0 | – |
| 1949 | 0 | – |
| 1948 | 0 | – |
| 1947 | 0 | – |
| 1946 | 0 | – |
| 1945 | 0 | – |
| 1944 | 0 | – |
| 1943 | 5 | #4,690 |
| 1942 | 0 | – |
| 1941 | 0 | – |
| 1940 | 0 | – |
| 1939 | 5 | #4,248 |
| 1938 | 0 | – |
| 1937 | 0 | – |
| 1936 | 0 | – |
| 1935 | 5 | #4,202 |
| 1934 | 0 | – |
| 1933 | 0 | – |
| 1932 | 5 | #4,409 |
| 1931 | 7 | #3,495 |
| 1930 | 6 | #4,045 |
| 1929 | 0 | – |
| 1928 | 0 | – |
| 1927 | 0 | – |
| 1926 | 0 | – |
| 1925 | 0 | – |
| 1924 | 0 | – |
| 1923 | 0 | – |
| 1922 | 9 | #3,377 |
| 1921 | 0 | – |
| 1920 | 0 | – |
| 1919 | 7 | #3,815 |
| 1918 | 6 | #4,289 |
| 1917 | 6 | #4,081 |
| 1916 | 0 | – |
| 1915 | 6 | #3,793 |
| 1914 | 8 | #2,637 |
| 1913 | 0 | – |
| 1912 | 0 | – |
| 1911 | 0 | – |
| 1910 | 0 | – |
| 1909 | 0 | – |
| 1908 | 0 | – |
| 1907 | 0 | – |
| 1906 | 0 | – |
| 1905 | 0 | – |
| 1904 | 0 | – |
| 1903 | 5 | #1,791 |
| 1902 | 0 | – |
| 1901 | 0 | – |
| 1900 | 0 | – |
| 1899 | 0 | – |
| 1898 | 5 | #1,699 |
Names like Murphy
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Finley Henry Cody Brody Oakley Oscar Kody Rory Osian Sonny Rowan Teddy
Other spellings of Murphy
More Irish names
Maeve Finn Aiden Ryan Nolan Quinn Orla Erin Ronan Connor Declan Casey Kennedy Callan Lennon Cillian