McMurphey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

Many of the oldest Irish surnames were originally in the Gaelic language native to Ireland. The original Gaelic form of the name McMurphey is Ó Murchadha or Mac Murchadha, which are both derived from the word "murchadh," meaning "sea warrior."

Early Origins of the McMurphey family

The surname McMurphey was first found in County Wexford (Irish: Loch Garman), founded by Vikings as Waesfjord, and located in Southeastern Ireland, in the province of Leinster, where they held a family seat from very early times.

Early History of the McMurphey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McMurphey research. Another 96 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1127, 1172, 1650, 1716 and 1798 are included under the topic Early McMurphey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McMurphey Spelling Variations

Names from the Middle Ages demonstrate many spelling variations. This is because the recording scribe or church official often decided as to how a person's name was spelt and in what language. Research into the name McMurphey revealed many variations, including Murphy, Morchoe, O'Murphy, Murfie, Murfree, Morfie, Morfey and many more.

Early Notables of the McMurphey family

Another 32 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McMurphey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the McMurphey family

The 19th century saw a great wave of Irish families leaving Ireland for the distant shores of North America and Australia. These families often left their homeland hungry, penniless, and destitute due to the policies of England. Those Irish immigrants that survived the long sea passage initially settled on the eastern seaboard of the continent. Some, however, moved north to a then infant Canada as United Empire Loyalists after ironically serving with the English in the American War of Independence. Others that remained in America later joined the westward migration in search of land. The greatest influx of Irish immigrants, though, came to North America during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. Thousands left Ireland at this time for North America, and those who arrived were immediately put to work building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. In fact, the foundations of today's powerful nations of the United States and Canada were to a larger degree built by the Irish. Archival documents indicate that members of the McMurphey family relocated to North American shores quite early: Dennis Murphy, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1766; Abraham Murphy, who settled in Maryland in 1674; Daniel Murphy, who came to Maryland in 1678; Ann Murphy, who settled in Philadelphia in 1773.

The McMurphey Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Fortis et hospitalis
Motto Translation: Brave and hospitable.