Murphy
An Irish surname meaning “sea-warrior,” from a Gaelic personal name.
The #64 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 1,001 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Murphy comes from Irish Mac Murchadha / O Murchadha, from the older personal name Murchadh. The name is usually explained as made up of muir, meaning “sea,” plus a second element related to “war” or “warrior,” giving the sense “sea-warrior.” In English use, the prefix Mac or O was often dropped, leaving Murphy as a standalone surname.
History
Murphy became one of the most common surnames in Ireland and was widely Anglicized from Gaelic forms without the prefix O' or Mac. Nineteenth- and early twentieth-century surname writers consistently connected it with the Irish family name Mac Murchadha / O Murchadha. The surname is especially associated with Ireland and the Irish diaspora, and it remains extremely common in English-speaking countries.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Harrison notes that the Irish form was often pronounced something like “Ooroohoo” in Irish speech before being simplified to Murphy in English.
From the historical record
“MURPHIEH Celt. ) Sea - Warrior [Ir. MURPHY ] Murchadh — mu{t)r„ sea + an asp. form of cath, war, warrior] ' O'Murchadha [nepotic (genit.) form of MurchadK], now always pronounced in Irish O'Mun^oghoo, and Anglicized Murphy, without the prefix O.' —”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)