Murphy Family History

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Murphy Name Meaning

Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Murchadha ‘descendant of Murchadh’, a personal name composed of the elements muir ‘sea’ + cath ‘battle’, i.e. ‘sea-warrior’. This was an important family in Tyrone.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


Similar surnames: Mcmurphy, Murley, Murray, Murrin, Dunphy, Merry, Murty, Murthy

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Murphy Family Origin

Where is the Murphy family from?

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You can see how Murphy families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Murphy family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Murphy families were found in the USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 3,705 Murphy families living in Ontario. This was about 48% of all the recorded Murphy's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Murphy families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Murphy surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Murphy

Murphy Family Occupations

What did your Murphy ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the CA named Murphy. 28% of Murphy men worked as a Farmer and 12% of Murphy women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Murphy were Clerk and Student

View Census data for Murphy | Data not to scale

Top Male Occupations in 1921

  • Farmer
    28%
  • Labourer
    10%
  • Laborer
    7%
  • Clerk
    3%

Top Female Occupations in 1921

  • Stenographer
    12%
  • Housekeeper
    11%
  • Clerk
    7%
  • Student
    7%

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Murphy Historical Records

What Murphy family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 2 million census records available for the last name Murphy. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Murphy census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Murphy

Passenger List

There are 443,000 immigration records available for the last name Murphy. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Murphy immigration records

Draft Card

There are 404,000 military records available for the last name Murphy. For the veterans among your Murphy ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Murphy military records

You've only scratched the surface of Murphy family history.

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Murphy Life Expectancy

What is the average Murphy lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Murphy life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Murphy in 1940 was 57, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Murphy

Famous Murphy Family Ancestors

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