Murphy family name history and map

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Murphy in 1911 Ireland

The 1911 Census recorded 55,642 people named Murphy in Ireland, about 1.27% of everyone living in the country at the time, making it the most common surname in Ireland. The name was split fairly evenly between men and women: 27,700 men and 27,867 women. (A small number, 75, had no sex recorded.)

Counties with Murphy in Ireland

Cork was Murphy country: 25.3% of them (14,080 people) lived there in 1911. Next came Dublin (6,152), Wexford (5,430), Kerry (3,672) and Mayo (2,246).
Surname distribution map, 1911 census

Murphy average age in 1911

The average Murphy in 1911 was 29.7 years old, 29.4 for men and 30.0 for women; almost exactly in line with the national averages of 29.6 for men and 30.5 for women. That low figure reflects just how many children there were in Edwardian Ireland, along with high infant mortality and the limits of public health at the time. For comparison, average life expectancy in Ireland today is around 83.

Murphy literacy in 1911

Of the Murphys whose literacy was recorded, 77.2% could both read and write, 3.7% could read but not write, and 19% could do neither. The figures were much the same for men and women. Bear in mind these figures include young children; the census itself only counted people aged nine and over when calculating illiteracy, on the grounds that it was unfair to label a child illiterate before they'd had a chance to learn.

Murphy common first names

The most common male names were John (4,179), Patrick, James, Michael and Thomas; the same five names that topped the list nationally. For women it was Mary (4,701), followed by Bridget, Margaret, Ellen and Catherine.

Murphy occupations in 1911

The most common entry on a Murphy's census form was "Scholar"; 19.9% (11,047) were children at school. Among the rest, the most common occupations were farmer (14.2%), farm labourer (5.1%), general labourer (4.7%) and domestic servant (3.7%). Grouped by sector, agriculture accounted for 19.8% of all Murphys, followed by domestic service, general labourers and textiles & clothing.

What religion is Murphy?

Murphys were overwhelmingly Roman Catholic, 94.9% of them. The remainder were mostly Anglican (2.5%), Presbyterian (1.4%), Methodist (0.2%) and Plymouth Brethren (0.1%).

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Pete F
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Murphy statistics (1911)

Number: 55,642
Rank: 1
Average Age: 30

Murphy in the USA (2020)

Number: 298,047
Rank: 65

Note: If there were less than 100 in the USA census it will show as zero. 

Ref: murphy

Places

Also see...

Morrow
3215 people in 1911
McMorrow
1000 people in 1911
McMurrough
32 people in 1911

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