Murphy
Boy name · #754 in 2025 · Rare
Murphy is currently the #754 boy name in the United States — 341 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #1228, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 5,279 boys born in 2025 was named Murphy.
The 144-year story
Murphy first appears in the Social Security records in 1881, when 6 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2025, with 341 babies and a rank of #754. 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.
Babies named Murphy per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Murphy against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Murphy in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Murphy is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Murphy will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Murphy is most common
Geography matters for names, and Murphy is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Murphy is most common in AR (0.8 per 1,000), WI (0.5 per 1,000), MO (0.5 per 1,000), CO (0.4 per 1,000), OH (0.4 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.2 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Murphy is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
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 Mccoy, Matheo, Maximo, Magnus, and Mustafa.
MccoyMatheoMaximoMagnusMustafaMontgomeryRowdyWestley
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Murphy | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 341 | #754 |
| 2024 | 308 | #813 |
| 2023 | 258 | #901 |
| 2022 | 267 | #885 |
| 2021 | 214 | #1025 |
| 2020 | 225 | #965 |
| 2019 | 185 | #1080 |
| 2018 | 165 | #1160 |
| 2017 | 165 | #1149 |
| 2016 | 163 | #1169 |
| 2015 | 149 | #1228 |
| 2014 | 123 | #1385 |
| 2013 | 103 | #1540 |
| 2012 | 73 | #1942 |
| 2011 | 102 | #1544 |
| 2010 | 103 | #1552 |
| 2009 | 90 | #1717 |
| 2008 | 85 | #1760 |
| 2007 | 82 | #1781 |
| 2006 | 60 | #2150 |
| 2005 | 67 | #1889 |
| 2004 | 79 | #1629 |
| 2003 | 57 | #2006 |
| 2002 | 57 | #1943 |
| 2001 | 46 | #2217 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Murphy a popular boy name?
Murphy ranked #754 among boys in 2025 with 341 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1228.
When was the name Murphy most popular?
Murphy peaked in 2025, when 341 American boys received the name (ranked #754 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 5,279 newborn American boys was named Murphy. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
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.