Murphy is the most common surname in Ireland, from Ó Murchadha, "descendant of Murchadh", a name meaning "sea warrior". The sitcom Murphy Brown (1988–1998), with Candice Bergen as the title character, planted it as a girl's name in American minds. Murphy entered the top 1000 for girls only in 2020 and has shot up to number 397 in 2025.