McMurphy, and its variants Murphy, Morrow and MacMurrough, are anglicisations of the Irish language surname Mac Murchaidh, which belonged to a clan found in County Armagh in the 17th century. There are different origins than the Wexford, Cork and Fermanagh County septs.
Overview
The name Murchadh comes from the Irish words muir and cath. The name therefore comes to mean "Sea Warrior" and has been used in Ireland and Scotland the clan in Scotland is of Irish origin. Over time the name has been Anglicised as Murchison, Murphy, Morrow, Morrowson, MacMurphy, MacMorrow, Murrow and MacMurchie but most commonly as Murphy and Morrow and most famously as MacMurrough. The names McMurchie, Murchison and Murphy normally come from Murchaidh, pronounced roughly Murahy whereas Morrow and Murrow tend to come from Murchadha, pronounced roughly Morahoe.
McMurphy was the surname of a branch of the Cenél nEógain. They were originally native to the district of Munterbirn and Tullyanvey, where they were chiefs of Siol Aodha, the "seed of Hugh". Their eponymous ancestor was one Murchad of this sept, who was alive in the 10th or 11th century.
The earliest reference to the name occurs in 1172, when "Mulmaire McMurphy, lord of Munterbirn, was slain by Hugh Magennis and the Clan Hugh of the Iveagh of Ulster".
The Fews
However, the McMurphy's were forcibly disposed and driven out by their more powerful O'Neill kinsmen, sometime in the 13th century. They subsequently settled in the highlands of south Armagh, ousting families such as Garvey, Hanratty and Callaghan. Over the course of the next two hundred years, the Tyrone O'Neill's would expand into The Fews and make the McMurphy their vassals again. By the end of the 15th century they were centered on Dunreavey Wood. A fiant of 1602 names some one hundred and seventy free clansmen of the Fews, of whom thirty-five were McMurphy's.
The townlands of Cashell and Legacroon in the barony of Orier were granted to McMurphy's c. 1610, but were seized by the time of Down Survey. There were seven McMurphy landholders in 1659, and twelve in 1664. The Hearth Money Roll of the same year lists several bearers of the name in Dorsey, Legmoylan, and Creggan, though none in Carnally. A census of 1766 listed at least eight families of the name in Carnally by that year. During the plantation, many Morrows came to Armagh from Scotland who were of the Scottish branch of MacMurchadha and mixed with the local families of MacMurchadha and MacMurchaidh. Since the 17th century, MacMurchadha and MacMurchaidh have become anglicised as Morrow and MacMurphy or Murphy respectively. In Ulster, bearers of the name are found in their greatest concentrations in County Armagh, with similar numbers in County Fermanagh and County Monaghan.
21st century
Murphy is the single most common Irish surname. However, most Murphy's elsewhere in Ireland are unrelated, being descendants of various other Mac Murchaidh, Mac Murchadha, and Ó Murchadha families. Morrow's may stem from both the Scottish branch of MacMurchadha or from any of the Irish branches, and also from the Scottish nameMacMuireadhaigh and tend to be also referred to as Scotch-Irish as well as Irish.
Notables
Niall Mór Mac Mac Murchaidh, poet, fl. 17th/18th century.
Niall Óge Mac Mac Murchaidh, poet, fl. 18th century.
