How Many People Are Named Murphy?
An estimated 9,439 people in the United States have the first name Murphy. It is used for both genders, with 67.6% male. The average bearer is 22 years old, and Murphy peaked in popularity in 2024 with 954 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Murphy as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, and state-by-state birth registrations. You can also check how many people share the full name Murphy paired with any surname.
Estimated Living Americans
9,439
About 1 in 36,313 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Rare
Predicted Gender
Male
67.6% confidence
Average Age
22
years old
Peak Year
2024
954 births
Total Registered
12,044
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Murphy
Murphy is a genuinely unisex name, used for both males (67.6%) and females (32.4%). Out of 12,044 total births registered, 8,144 were male and 3,900 were female.
Murphy as a male name
Ranked #815 in 2024
307 male births in 2024
Peak: 2024 (307 births)
Murphy as a female name
Ranked #474 in 2024
647 female births in 2024
Peak: 2024 (647 births)
Murphy: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Murphy span from the 1880s to the 2020s, covering 15 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 2020s, when 3,605 babies were registered. Murphy remains highly popular today, with recent registration numbers near its historical peak.
Murphy by Decade
How has Murphy tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
Murphy by State
Birth registrations for Murphy span all 39 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in Louisiana, Texas, California. The lowest are in Nevada, South Dakota, North Dakota. On average, about 170 Murphys were registered per state.
Murphy + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Murphy as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Murphy
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
Murphy: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Murphy?
We estimate approximately 9,439 people named Murphy are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 36,313 Americans share this first name.
Is Murphy a common name?
Murphy is classified as "Rare" and is more popular than 97.6% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 12,044 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Murphy most popular?
Murphy reached peak popularity in 2024, when 954 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Murphy is approximately 22 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
Is Murphy a male name?
Murphy is predominantly male. 67.6% of people with this name are male. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
How many Murphy Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Murphy Smith, Murphy Johnson, Murphy Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
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