1,888 documented Murphy ancestors, drawn from public records such as death indexes and county histories. Every name below is a real person in the public record.
Irish, anglicized from Ó Murchadha ('sea warrior') — the single most common surname in Ireland.
Where the records place them: Iowa (99%), out of 1,882 Murphy records with a known place.
The most common first names among them: John, Mary, William, James and Robert.
Of the 1,871 with both a birth and a death year, the median lifespan was 77 years.
The earliest recorded birth is Recompense Murphy, born 1774 in New Jersey.
Documented Murphy families on this page come from Biographical Record of Miami County, Ohio, Biographical Record of Franklin County, Ohio and Portrait and biographical record of Johnson, Poweshiek and Iowa counties, Iowa.
Real Murphy family groups pieced together from the public record — parents, spouse, and children, each with the source that proves it. Recognize your line? Tap a family and we’ll start your documented tree from it.
+7 more documented Murphy families in the record. Find yours →
Deceased Murphy ancestors, earliest first. Living family members are deliberately omitted.
Found your Murphy? We trace the whole line — both sides, back to the documented wall — into a written book & interactive family site. No DNA test; a free call before you spend a dollar.
Irish, anglicized from Ó Murchadha ('sea warrior') — the single most common surname in Ireland.
The documented line here reaches back to 1774. Most Murphy lines can be traced to the end of the surviving public record.
No. Deceased ancestors only, from public records. Living people are excluded for privacy.
If a name here matches your family, it may well be. A full documented build confirms exactly how your line connects.
Part of a network of documented family histories: