O'Murphy History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland-Alt
Ireland

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

Early Origins of the O'Murphy family

The surname O'Murphy 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 O'Murphy family

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

O'Murphy Spelling Variations

Pronunciation, rather than spelling, guided scribes and church officials when recording names during the Middle Ages. This practice often resulted in one person's name being recorded under several different spellings. Numerous spelling variations of the surname O'Murphy are preserved in these old documents. The various spellings of the name that were found include Murphy, Morchoe, O'Murphy, Murfie, Murfree, Morfie, Morfey and many more.

Early Notables of the O'Murphy family

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

Migration of the O'Murphy family

A massive amount of Ireland's native population left the island in the 19th century for North America and Australia in hopes of finding more opportunities and an escape from discrimination and oppression. A great portion of these migrants arrived on the eastern shores of the North American continent. Although they were generally poor and destitute, and, therefore, again discriminated against, these Irish people were heartily welcomed for the hard labor involved in the construction of railroads, canals, roadways, and buildings. Many others were put to work in the newly established factories or agricultural projects that were so essential to the development of what would become two of the wealthiest nations in the world. The Great Potato Famine during the late 1840s initiated the largest wave of Iris immigration. Early North American immigration and passenger lists have revealed a number of people bearing the name O'Murphy or a variant listed above: 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 O'Murphy 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.