English

Proper noun

Murphy

1. A common Irish surname​, the anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Murchadha
   • Herman Melville, Omoo

     After a long talk between these two, and a little broken English from the Frenchmen, our visitors took leave; but Father Murphy had hardly gone a dozen rods when back he came, inquiring whether we were in want of anything.

2. A male or female given name in occasional use, transferred from the surname.
   • 2012 Louise Erdrich, The Round House, Corsair (2013), ISBN 9781472108166, page 178:

     Sonja made me promise I would go to college. She said she'd wanted her daughter, Murphy, to go. She'd named her baby Murphy because it could never be a stripper name. But her daughter had changed her name to London.

See also

• Murphy's law

English

Noun

murphy ‎(plural murphies)

1. An Irish or white potato.
   • 1857, Thomas Hughes. Tom Brown's School Days, chapter VI

     " [<span title="Tea's directly after locking-up, you see," said East, hobbling along as fast as he could, "so you come along down to Sally Harrowell's; that's our School-house tuck-shop—">…] she bakes such stunning murphies—we'll have a penn'orth each for tea; come along, or they'll all be gone."

   • William Thackeray, Peg of Limavaddy

     To the chimney nook, / Having found admittance, / There I watch a pup / Playing with two kittens / (Playing round the fire, / Which of blazing turf is, / Roaring to the pot / Which bubbles with the murphies) […]