Murphy
Girl name · #397 in 2025 · Uniqueness 23/100
Murphy is currently the #397 girl name in the United States — 783 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #2152, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 2,299 girls born in 2025 was named Murphy.
Babies named Murphy per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
The 127-year story
Murphy first appears in the Social Security records in 1898, when 5 girls received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2025, with 783 babies and a rank of #397. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Murphy against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Murphy in class?
Murphy scores 23 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "popular" band. A low score means broad familiarity: teachers will spell it right, and your child may share it with a classmate. For many families that's a feature, not a bug.
Where Murphy is most common
Geography matters for names, and Murphy is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Murphys were TX (66), GA (37), CA (36), MN (34), TN (32). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Murphy
Statistically, parents drawn to Murphy tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Malani, Miller, Navy, Kailany, and Marceline.
MalaniMillerNavyKailanyMarcelineMaisieMaisyMarigold
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Murphy | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 783 | #397 |
| 2024 | 650 | #474 |
| 2023 | 588 | #516 |
| 2022 | 443 | #667 |
| 2021 | 398 | #719 |
| 2020 | 261 | #976 |
| 2019 | 177 | #1295 |
| 2018 | 146 | #1497 |
| 2017 | 148 | #1495 |
| 2016 | 124 | #1712 |
| 2015 | 88 | #2152 |
| 2014 | 42 | #3652 |
| 2013 | 31 | #4543 |
| 2012 | 25 | #5398 |
| 2011 | 26 | #5207 |
| 2010 | 30 | #4735 |
| 2009 | 24 | #5709 |
| 2008 | 34 | #4448 |
| 2007 | 20 | #6552 |
| 2006 | 35 | #4165 |
| 2005 | 32 | #4267 |
| 2004 | 27 | #4816 |
| 2003 | 34 | #3946 |
| 2002 | 25 | #4767 |
| 2001 | 19 | #5822 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Murphy a popular girl name?
Murphy ranked #397 among girls in 2025 with 783 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #2152.
When was the name Murphy most popular?
Murphy peaked in 2025, when 783 American girls received the name (ranked #397 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Murphy?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 2,299 newborn American girls was named Murphy. It scores 23/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "popular".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.