Unisex name · Irish Gaelic
Murphy
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: sea warriorMurphy is a gender-neutral name that comes from Irish Gaelic and means "sea warrior". It is used in Irish and English.
- Meaning
- Sea warrior
- Origin
- Irish Gaelic
- Gender
- Unisex
- Say it
- MUR-fee (Irish)
Meaning and origin of Murphy
As a gender-neutral name, Murphy comes from Irish Gaelic and means "sea warrior". It is used in Irish and English.
In Irish, say MUR-fee. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Murphy is also a surname: the 65th most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 298,047 people. See the most common last names.
Its meaning puts Murphy on our names that mean water or sea and names that mean warrior lists.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Murphy on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Murphy on 8 lists.
“Irish surname from Murchadh, sea battle, for a bold cat”
From Boy cat names, classic boy cat names
“Ireland's most common surname, from a name meaning sea battle”
From Boy dog names, popular boy dog names
“Sea warrior; Irish, the most common surname in Ireland”
From Gender neutral names, unisex names from Irish, Scottish and Welsh
“From Ó Murchadha, descendant of Murchadh, sea battle. Say MUR-fee.”
From Irish boy names, irish surnames used as boy names
“Ó Murchadha, descendant of Murchadh, sea warrior; Ireland's most common”
From Irish last names, most common Irish last names
“Sea warrior; Irish surname, from Murchadh”
From Ocean names, unisex ocean-themed names
“Ó Murchadha, from Murchadh, sea warrior”
From Pretty last names, pretty Irish, Scottish and Welsh surnames
“If something can go wrong, he did it”
From Goat names, boy goat names
How popular is Murphy?
In 2025, 783 girls and 341 boys in the US were named Murphy.
As a girl’s name
- US rank in 2025
- #397
- 783 babies, 487 per million girls
- Best rank
- #397 in 2025
- 783 babies that year
- Babies since 1898
- At least 4,688
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 2 per million |
| 1900s | 2 per million |
| 1910s | 4 per million |
| 1920s | 1 per million |
| 1930s | 3 per million |
| 1940s | 0 per million |
| 1950s | 0 per million |
| 1960s | 0 per million |
| 1970s | 0 per million |
| 1980s | 2 per million |
| 1990s | 19 per million |
| 2000s | 15 per million |
| 2010s | 48 per million |
| 2020s | 321 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,717 | #1,503 | #1,503 | #1,301 | #979 | #719 | #667 | #517 | #476 | #397 |
As a boy’s name
- US rank in 2025
- #754
- 341 babies, 200 per million boys
- Best rank
- #510 in 1892
- Most babies: 341 in 2025
- Babies since 1881
- At least 8,486
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 27 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 75 per million |
| 1900s | 112 per million |
| 1910s | 73 per million |
| 1920s | 66 per million |
| 1930s | 57 per million |
| 1940s | 38 per million |
| 1950s | 30 per million |
| 1960s | 20 per million |
| 1970s | 21 per million |
| 1980s | 18 per million |
| 1990s | 27 per million |
| 2000s | 34 per million |
| 2010s | 71 per million |
| 2020s | 156 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,174 | #1,151 | #1,163 | #1,083 | #967 | #1,028 | #887 | #904 | #816 | #754 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Other forms of Murphy
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
Names spelled like Murphy
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- MurrayFrom Moray (Scottish place name, boy)
Names with a similar meaning
- MarinaOf the sea (Latin, girl)
- LouiseFamous warrior (Germanic, girl)
- MurielBright sea (Scottish Gaelic, girl)
- LouisFamous warrior (Germanic, boy)
- LuisaFamous warrior (Germanic, girl)
- MiraPeace, from Slavic Mir- names; in Sanskrit, sea (Slavic, girl)
- AloysiusFamous warrior (Germanic, boy)
- CoralReef stone of the sea (Greek, girl)
- DaryaHolding firm the good; also sea in Persian (Persian, girl)
- DonnchadhBrown warrior (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
Middle names for Murphy
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More names from Irish Gaelic
- OscarPossibly deer friend (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- FinnFair, white (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- FergusMan of vigor (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- KevinGentle birth (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- RonanLittle seal (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- RoryRed king (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- AidanLittle fire (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- AidenLittle fire (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- AodhFire, flame (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- AydenVariant of Aidan, little fire (Irish Gaelic, boy)
Murphy: common questions
What does the name Murphy mean?
Murphy comes from Irish Gaelic and means "sea warrior".
Is Murphy a boy or girl name?
Murphy is used for both boys and girls. In 2025, 783 girls and 341 boys in the US were named Murphy, according to Social Security Administration data.
Where does the name Murphy come from?
Murphy comes from Irish Gaelic and means "sea warrior". Today it is used in Irish and English.
How do you pronounce Murphy?
In Irish, say MUR-fee. Pronunciation can vary between languages and regions.
How popular is the name Murphy?
Murphy ranked #397 in the US in 2025, with 783 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Murphy?
Forms of Murphy with the same meaning and origin include Murchadh (Irish), Murdo (Scottish) and Murrough (Irish).
What middle names go with Murphy?
Middle names that flow well with Murphy include Anne, Briar, Ethan, Lamar and Niamh. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.