Surname Rarity Checker / How rare is Murphy
How Rare Is the Last Name Murphy?
Murphy is the 64th most common surname in the United States. About 308,417 Americans carry it, which works out to roughly 1 in 861 people, or 0.116% of the population. That is a common surname, though far from the top of the list. Here is the full picture from the Census surname file, plus a card you can save and share.
- Rarity
- 1 in 861
- Tier
- Common
- U.S. rank
- 64th
- Share of people
- 0.116%
- People named
- 308,417
- Source
- Census 2010
Based on the U.S. Census Bureau 2010 surname file, which counts 265,667,228 people across 162,253 surnames held by 100 or more people.
Where the surname Murphy comes from
Murphy is the most common surname in Ireland, an anglicization of O Murchadha, 'descendant of Murchadh', a personal name meaning 'sea warrior'. Its spread mirrors Irish emigration almost exactly.
Want to check a different last name? Try the surname rarity checker. Last names are only half the picture: the first-name rarity checker runs the same math on given names, and how common is my name combines the two.
Frequently asked questions
- How rare is the last name Murphy?
- Murphy is in the Common tier. About 1 in 861 Americans share it, which is 0.116% of the population, and it ranks 64th of all U.S. surnames. In total 308,417 people carried it in the 2010 Census.
- Is Murphy a rare last name?
- No. Murphy is a well-established surname rather than a rare one. It is in the Common tier, ranked 64th of all U.S. surnames, with about 1 in 861 Americans sharing it.
- How common is the surname Murphy?
- About 1 in 861 Americans carry the surname Murphy, which is 0.116% of the population and 64th of all U.S. surnames. That places it in the Common tier.
- How many people have the last name Murphy?
- 308,417 people in the United States, according to the Census Bureau's 2010 surname file, which counted 265,667,228 people across 162,253 surnames.
- Where does the surname Murphy come from?
- Murphy is the most common surname in Ireland, an anglicization of O Murchadha, 'descendant of Murchadh', a personal name meaning 'sea warrior'. Its spread mirrors Irish emigration almost exactly.