Murphy () ( ga, Ua Murchadha) is an
Irish surname
In some cultures, a surname, family name, or last name is the portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family, tribe or community.
Practices vary by culture. The family name may be placed at either the start of a person's full name ...
and the most common surname in the
Republic of Ireland.
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") derived from the Irish
personal name
A personal name, or full name, in onomastic terminology also known as prosoponym (from Ancient Greek πρόσωπον / ''prósōpon'' - person, and ὄνομα / ''onoma'' - name), is the set of names by which an individual person is known ...
"Murchadh", which meant sea-warrior or sea-battler (''muir'' meaning sea and ''cath'' meaning battle).
It is said of Murrough (Murchadh) as he entered the thick of the fight and prepared to assail the foreign invaders, the Danes, when they had repulsed the Dal-Cais, that 'he was seized with a boiling terrible anger, an excessive elevation and greatness of spirit and mind. A bird of valour and championship rose in him, and fluttered over his head and on his breath.
In modern
Irish, "Ó Murchú", rather than "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.
People with the surname
Men
*
Aaron James Murphy (born 1992), New Zealand actor
*
Anthony Murphy (cricketer) (born 1962), English cricketer
*
Arthur Murphy (disambiguation), multiple people
*
Audie Murphy (1925–1971), American war hero and actor
*
Austin J. Murphy (born 1927), Democratic Congressman from Pennsylvania
*
Barnes Murphy
Barnes Murphy (born in Sligo, Ireland), is a former Gaelic footballer who represented the Sligo county team during the 1970s and 1980s. Aside from winning a GAA All Stars Award
The Gaelic Athletic Association-Gaelic Players' Association All ...
(born 1947), former Gaelic footballer
*
Bos Murphy
Richard Boswell "Bos" Murphy (14 February 1924 – 9 November 2000) was a New Zealand professional welter/ middle/light heavyweight boxer of the 1940s and 1950s who won the New Zealand Boxing Association welterweight title, Australasian welterw ...
(1924–2000), New Zealand boxer
*
Brian Murphy (disambiguation), multiple people
*
Buddy Murphy, Australian professional wrestler
*
Byron Murphy
Byron Murphy Jr. (born January 18, 1998) is an American football cornerback for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Washington.
Early years
Murphy attended Saguaro High School in Scottsdale ...
(born 1998), American football player
*
Calvin Murphy (born 1948), American retired basketball player
*
Charles Murphy (disambiguation) Charles or Charlie Murphy may refer to: Charlie Murphy
Politics
*Charles Murphy (1880–1958), Irish politician more commonly referred to as Cathal Ó Murchadha
* Charles Murphy (Australian politician) (1909–1997), member of the Victorian Legisl ...
, multiple people
*
Chris Murphy (Connecticut politician) (born 1973),
United States Senator from
Connecticut
*
Ciarán Murphy
Ciarán P. Murphy (born 30 May 1940) is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician who was a Teachta Dála (TD) for Wicklow from 1973 to 1982.
A secondary school teacher before entering politics, Murphy was elected to Dáil Éireann on his first at ...
, Irish T.D.
*
Cillian Murphy (born 1976), Irish actor
*
Colin Murphy (disambiguation), multiple people
*
Colm Murphy (born 1952), Irish alleged suspect in the
Omagh bombing
The Omagh bombing was a car bombing on 15 August 1998 in the town of Omagh in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It was carried out by the Real Irish Republican Army (Real IRA), a Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) splinter group who oppose ...
*
Connor Murphy (born 1993), American ice hockey player
*
Conor Murphy
Conor Terence Murphy (Irish: Conchúr Ó Murchú; born 10 July 1963) is an Irish republican Sinn Féin politician who is the Member of the Legislative Assembly of Northern Ireland for Newry and Armagh. He served as the Member of Parliament for ...
, Sinn Féin politician in Northern Ireland
*
Dale Murphy (born 1956), American retired baseball player
*
Dale D. Murphy
Dale D. Murphy is a professor in the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. He teaches international relations, international business, international economics, entrepreneurship, and corporate social responsibility in the La ...
, professor at Georgetown University
*
Daniel Murphy (disambiguation) Daniel Murphy may refer to:
Sportsmen Association football (soccer)
*Danny Murphy (footballer, born 1922) (1922–2001), English football player
* Danny Murphy (footballer, born 1977), English international football player for Liverpool, Fulham ...
, multiple people
*
Darren Murphy
Darren Murphy (born 28 July 1985) is an Irish football manager and former footballer who played as a midfielder. Murphy started his playing career at Cobh Ramblers, progressing through the club's youth system before breaking into the first te ...
(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
Daryl Michael Murphy (born 15 March 1983) is an Irish former professional footballer.
Murphy began his career at Waterford United, having previously played youth football for Waterford based side Southend United and English side Luton Town, whi ...
, Irish football player
*
David Murphy (disambiguation) David or Dave Murphy may refer to:
Sports
* David Murphy (Australian rules footballer) (born 1962), Australian rules footballer
*Dave Murphy (baseball) (1876–1940), American shortstop in Major League Baseball
* David Murphy (baseball) (born 1981) ...
, 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 (cricketer), 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 (Australian boxer), Tommy Burns
*Glen Murphy (1957), British actor
*George Murphy (1902–1992), American dancer, actor, and Republican Senator
*Grayson Murphy (disambiguation)
*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
*Lambert Murphy (1885–?), American operatic tenor
*Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr. (born 1974), American singer, winner of America's Got Talent (season 6), season 6 of ''America's Got Talent''
*Larry Murphy (disambiguation), multiple people
*Lawrence Murphy (disambiguation), multiple people
*Lionel Murphy (born 1922), 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, 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 (footballer) (born 1985)
*Ryan Murphy (writer), American television writer, director and producer
*Scott Murphy, American entrepreneur and politician
*Scott Murphy (video game designer), a programmer behind the ''Space Quest'' series
*Sean Murphy (disambiguation), multiple people
*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, NYS 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
*Murder of Alexis Murphy, 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 (born 1931), travel writer
*Carolyn Murphy (born 1975), American model
*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
*Katherine Murphy, journalist, political editor of ''Guardian Australia''
*Kelly Murphy (born 1977), American author and illustrator
*Margaret Mary Healy Murphy (1833–1907), American Catholic nun
*Mary Murphy (disambiguation), multiple people
*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
Fictional characters
* Meg Murphy, the main character in the movie, ''Jinxed (2013 film), Jinxed'' (2013)
* Murphy Cooper, in the film ''Interstellar (film), Interstellar''
* Captain Ed Murphy, a character in the 1987 American buddy cop action movie ''Lethal Weapon#Cast, Lethal Weapon''
*Sealab 2021#Characters, Captain Murphy from the Adult Swim animated series ''Sealab 2021''
* Alex James Murphy, the police officer who became ''RoboCop (character), RoboCop''
*List of characters in Jurassic Park#Alexis "Lex" Murphy, Alexis "Lex" Murphy, in the film ''Jurassic Park (film), Jurassic Park''
* Frank, Sue, Bill, Kevin, and Maureen Murphy from the Netflix original ''F Is for Family''
*List of recurring The Simpsons characters#Bleeding Gums Murphy, "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 (film)#Cast, 17 Again''
*Colin Murphy (fiction), in the American soap opera ''Days of Our Lives''
* Connor Murphy, from the musical ''Dear Evan Hansen''
*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 (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 (film)#Cast, 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, Dr Tim LaHaye
*Randle Patrick McMurphy, one of the main characters in Ken Kesey's novel ''One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (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), Sean Murphy (''Oz''), in the HBO TV drama series ''Oz (TV 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)
References
{{surname
Surnames
Irish families
Surnames of Irish origin
Occupational surnames
Anglicised Irish-language surnames
English-language surnames