Murphy
Murphy is a given name of Irish origin.
Meaning & Origin of Murphy
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Murphy is a given name of Irish origin.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Murphy
As a girl name
Murphy first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1898, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2026, when 731 Murphys were born — ranking #423 that year. As of 2026, Murphy ranks #423 for girls with 731 births, rising sharply (+173% over the past five years). In total, more than 5K Murphys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1890s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Murphy first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1881, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2026, when 316 Murphys were born — ranking #806 that year. As of 2026, Murphy ranks #806 for boys with 316 births, rising sharply (+53% over the past five years). In total, more than 9K Murphys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Murphy
Phonetically similar names — useful when Murphy is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Murphy
What does the name Murphy mean?
How popular is Murphy in 2026?
When was Murphy most popular?
In which U.S. states is Murphy most popular?
Is Murphy a unisex name?
What names go well with Murphy?
About the name Murphy
Murphy is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1881 and has accumulated 9K births in the dataset. Murphy's peak popularity came in 2026 when it ranked #497. Use the chart and map above to compare Murphy's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2026 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "M" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.