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Irish surname

Murphy: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Ó Murchadha · 'descendant of Murchadh' (sea-warrior)

Murphy was the commonest surname in Ireland in Matheson's 1890 survey, with about 62,600 people. Its main Irish form is Ó Murchadha, 'descendant of Murchadh' (sea-warrior), and Woulfe (1923) records separate families of the name in Tyrone, Sligo and Wexford. Woulfe adds that for the Tyrone family of Mac Murchadha, Murphy 'appears to be the anglicised form, at least, in many instances'.

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Coat of arms associated with the Murphy surname
Irish formÓ Murchadha
Meaning'descendant of Murchadh' (sea-warrior)
CountiesWexford, Cork, Tyrone, Sligo
Other spellings4

Origin of the Murphy name

Woulfe lists three Ó Murchadha families: chiefs of Siol Aodha in Co. Tyrone (Cinel Eoghain); a Ui Fiachrach family on the south shore of Sligo Bay, dispersed in the 13th century; and a Ui Ceinnsealaigh branch, chiefs of Ui Feilme (barony of Ballaghkeen, Co. Wexford), 'now very numerous throughout Leinster'. There may be several others.[1]

  1. 13th centuryThe Sligo Ó Murchadha family is dispossessed and dispersed.[1]
  2. early 1600sThe Ui Feilme Murphys of Wexford remain a distinct clan until about now.[1]
  3. 1730Dramatist Arthur Murphy born near Elphin, Co. Roscommon.[4]
  4. 1798Fr John Murphy takes the field in Wexford, 25 May; executed 26 June.[3]
  5. 1890Murphy is Ireland's most numerous surname, about 62,600 people.[5]

Where in Ireland

Co. WexfordThe Ui Feilme family (Ballaghkeen); in 1890 Murphy was the leading surname in Wexford.[1][7]
Co. CorkLargest numbers in 1890 (close on 500 birth entries), very close behind Sullivan.[6][7]
Co. TyroneÓ Murchadha chiefs of Siol Aodha; Woulfe's Ulster Mac Murchadha family was also seated there.[1][2]
Co. SligoA Ui Fiachrach family in the parishes of Skreen and Templeboy, dispersed in the 13th century.[1]
Co. CarlowIn 1890 one of only two Leinster counties where Murphy was the leading name.[7]
Co. ArmaghIn 1890 the only Ulster county where Murphy was the leading surname.[7]

Notable people named Murphy

Father John Murphyd. 1798Parish priest of Boulavogue; one of the leaders of the Wexford insurgents in 1798; executed 26 June 1798.[3]
Arthur Murphy1730–1805Actor, dramatist, barrister and translator of Tacitus, born near Elphin, Co. Roscommon.[4]

Other spellings

O'Murphy · O'Muracha · Murchoe · Morphy[1]

The Murphy coat of arms

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the Murphy surname. In Irish and British heraldry a coat of arms is granted to one person and passes to their heirs; it does not belong to everyone who shares the surname. Many families still use the arms of their name as a symbol of their heritage.

Murphy crest gifts

Clan Murphy Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap QZ41 Murphy Coat Of Arms Irish Cap Murphy Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap£26.00Clan Murphy Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapDF32 Classic Cap - Murphy Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Murphy Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap DF32£33.00Clan Murphy Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapLZ51 Classic Cap - Murphy Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Murphy Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap LZ51£33.00

Murphy surname: questions

What does the surname Murphy mean?

Woulfe gives Murphy as an anglicised form of Ó Murchadha, 'descendant of Murchadh', Murchadh meaning 'sea-warrior'.[1]

Is Murphy the most common surname in Ireland?

In Matheson's survey of the 1890 Births Index, yes: Murphy was first of the hundred principal surnames, with an estimated 62,600 people.[5]

Where does the Murphy name come from in Ireland?

Woulfe records Ó Murchadha families in Co. Tyrone (Siol Aodha), on Sligo Bay (Skreen and Templeboy) and in Co. Wexford (Ui Feilme, the barony of Ballaghkeen), and thinks there may be others.[1]

Are Murphy and MacMurrough the same name?

Sometimes. Woulfe lists both MacMurrough and Murphy among the anglicised forms of Mac Murchadha. But he says the Leinster MacMurroughs took the surname Caomhánach (Kavanagh), and that Murphy 'appears to be the anglicised form, at least, in many instances' for the Ulster family of Mac Murchadha, seated in Tyrone. Separately, Murphy is an anglicised form of Ó Murchadha.[1][2]

Sources

  1. Ó Murchadha — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/om/o-murchadha.php
  2. Mac Murchadha — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/macm/mac-murchadha.php
  3. Murphy, John, D.D. (Father John Murphy) — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/FatherJohnMurphy.php
  4. Arthur Murphy — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/ArthurMurphy.php
  5. Principal Surnames in Ireland (table of 100 principal surnames, Births Index 1890) — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/principal-surnames-ireland.php
  6. Murphy — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/murphy.php
  7. Summary of the Distribution of Surnames — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/summary-distribution.php

Note: Matheson's 1890 figures for a surname include its spelling varieties (Matheson, Table Explanation).