| Murphy | Casey | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Sea-warrior | Vigilant in war |
| Origin | irish | irish |
| Gender | Unisex | Unisex |
| Pronunciation | MUR-fee | KAY-see |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1898 | 1888 |
| Peak year | 2025 (783) | 1990 (4,134) |
| In 2025 | 783 | 1,072 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Steady |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Murphy | Casey |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 3,123 | 5,474 |
| 2010s | 837 | 5,582 |
| 2000s | 271 | 12,261 |
| 1990s | 337 | 29,253 |
| 1980s | 35 | 35,968 |
| 1970s | 0 | 18,987 |
| 1960s | 0 | 4,723 |
| 1950s | 0 | 2,656 |
| 1940s | 5 | 571 |
| 1930s | 28 | 277 |
| 1920s | 9 | 347 |
| 1910s | 33 | 444 |
| 1900s | 5 | 89 |
| 1890s | 5 | 37 |
| 1880s | 0 | 6 |
From the Irish surname Ó Murchadha, from 'muir' (sea) and 'cath' (battle), giving 'sea-warrior' or 'sea-battler'. One of the most common surnames in Ireland, now used as a given name.
From the Irish surname Ó Cathasaigh, whose byname 'cathasach' derives from 'cath' (battle) and is usually glossed 'vigilant, watchful' (in war); a secondary reading is 'noisy'.
Casey is more popular than Murphy today: about 1,072 US babies were given the name Casey in 2025, compared with 783 named Murphy.
Murphy means Sea-warrior (irish origin), while Casey means Vigilant in war (irish origin).
In US records, Murphy first appears in 1898 and Casey in 1888, so Casey has the longer recorded history.