Unisex name · since 1881
Murphy
Since 1881, U.S. Social Security records show 8,486 babies named Murphy, peaking in 2025. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #1,329 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #754 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 8,486
- born since 1881
- 2020s
- peak decade
8,486 babies have been named Murphy since 1881, making it today's #754 unisex name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Murphy has been recorded 8,486 times among boys since 1881, currently ranked #754 nationally and more common than 95% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 2020s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1881 to 2025.
- #1,329 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #754 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 8,486 born since 1881
- 2020s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Murphy ranks #1,329 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #754 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 8,486 born since 1881, peaking in the 2020s.
- #1,329 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #754 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 8,486
- born since 1881
- 2020s
- peak decade
Murphy's 8,486 recorded births place it above 97.07% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
35 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Louisiana.
How Murphy compares
8,486 Top 10% higher than 90% of 13,930 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Murphy's all-time total is 23x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Murphy | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 8,486 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 341 | 34 | 22,252 |
Murphy's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Murphy splits its recorded history at 1956: 64% of all births land in the more recent half, 36% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1885 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2025 peak of 341 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Murphy popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1881–2025
- Peak year (2025)
- 341
- Annual births at peak, across 145 years of records
Murphy popularity over time - girls
4,688 total births recorded since 1898 (Murphy as girls' name)
Murphy by decade
2020s is the heaviest window (1,613 births, 19% of the file).
2020s was Murphy's strongest decade.
1,613 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 19% of all-time use.
Murphy births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 30
1880s
30 births
- 1890s 86
1890s
86 births
- 1900s 152
1900s
152 births
- 1910s 487
1910s
487 births
- 1920s
1920s
728 births
- 1930s 604
1930s
604 births
- 1940s 570
1940s
570 births
- 1950s 597
1950s
597 births
- 1960s 393
1960s
393 births
- 1970s 354
1970s
354 births
- 1980s 333
1980s
333 births
- 1990s 532
1990s
532 births
- 2000s
2000s
676 births
- 2010s
2010s
1,331 births
- 2020s
2020s
1,613 births
What this shows Peak: 2020s at 1,613 births (19% of all-time use).
How Murphy compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Murphy's total volume
Murphy by state
Where Murphy concentrates geographically, total births since 1881
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Louisiana | | 1,481 | 17.5% |
| #2 | Texas | | 448 | 5.3% |
| #3 | California | | 281 | 3.3% |
| #4 | North Carolina | | 231 | 2.7% |
| #5 | Georgia | | 142 | 1.7% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 134 | 1.6% |
| #7 | Mississippi | | 130 | 1.5% |
| #8 | Alabama | | 124 | 1.5% |
1,481 of 8,486 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 35 reporting states.
Murphy appears in 35 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Murphy? ▼
Where does Murphy sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Murphy most popular? ▼
Where is Murphy most popular? ▼
Is Murphy a unisex name? ▼
How long has the name Murphy been used? ▼
What names are similar to Murphy? ▼
What to do with Murphy's data
- Louisiana records the most Murphys (1,481 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Louisiana names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Murphy
Nearby Names Like Murphy
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Murphy
Compare Murphy side by side: Murphy vs Murray Murphy vs Murry Murphy vs Murl
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Murphy
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Murphy: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2025)
Similar record span (~144 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1881–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Murphy draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.