Murphy-or am I mad?!

[MrsAmos]

Currently expecting DS2 and may be going bonkers but today I've decided I quite like the name Murphy..... Struggled with boys names the first time and this time is no different, DS1 is Fred so need something relatively traditional but don't want to risk there being 5 other children with the same name in the class etc. Any thoughts??

Piedwagtail, did you actually consciously intend that to be so violently offensive, or are you just that unthinkingly ignorant on a daily basis?

OP, it is a nice name, but - speaking as a UK-resident Irish person who deals with face-to-face versions of Piedwagtail's moronic assumptions on a not irregular basis - I think you should consider very carefully the connotations of giving your child a surname so closely associated with Irishness in a country where that still, for some people, has asociations with violence, stupidity and fecklessness. (It's very different, for instance, to calling your baby 'Smith' or some of the other popularly surnamish names.)

It is the most common surname in Ireland, too - if that matters to you.

Murphy was a character in Remington Steele who I rather fancied as a child. Dh has vetoed it though.

Yup - you're mad
It's a surname (although I do know a dog with that name too)

I like it. Just throwing them in for good measure..what about Murray?

I also don't get the spud/potato association

A 'murphy' is a name for a potato honestly-less well known now but common in the last century -I remember in the 50's being sent for a bag of murphies for my gran.
I actually like Murphy as a name and there are worse nn's than Spud!

There's nothing to get, jaffa, to be honest. Just a general association between Murphy as a typically Irish name, and the association of potatoes with Irishness, via a perception they're still crucial to the Irish diet, the Famine etc etc.

Ok....wasn't expecting some of those responses and I had never heard the spud thing - although my concern was that it was too much of a surname and that the poor child may end up constantly explaining that he's not even Irish! I still think its great but maybe one to save up for a middle name.

How about Alfie if you like the "fee" sound at the end of a name?

Or another "M" name... Matthew, Malachi, Max, Mark, Michael, Marlon, Marius, Marcus?

Glad to hear the madness has passed :o

Murphy is way too surnamey. Sounds stupid as a first name.

I know two dogs called Murphy, but they are wild cute, oh and its also a stout.

It's one of those nicknames traditionally applied to certain surnames. Some are obvious, others less so. I can remember people of my parents' and gp's generation called

Nobby Clarke
Dusty Rhodes (or Miller)
Chalky White
Dinger Bell
Tug Wilson
and yes, Spud Murphy. because murphies is or was a colloquial term for potatoes.

Well I don't make association between Murphy and potatoes and i grew up on a farm!

I grew up in Scotland so to me, surnames as first names are very common place. I don't see a issues.

MrsAmos if you love Murphy go for it.

an issue

My mum had a goat called Murphy. He was very sweet but I'm not sure I'd call a person after him....

I think some of these expressions are dying out, I have never called potatoes 'murphys', only spuds! but my granddad used to. You don't hear those nn's like Nobby Clark much either.

I'm not a fan of surnames as first names either ... we did have a dog called Murphy once though, it suited him :)

My friend has a German shepard called Murphy.

Beautiful and so obedient.

Ah beautiful and obedient - I like the sound of that!! We are in Scotland too Jaffa so used to all the surname type names. DH thinks I'm bonkers for suggesting Murphy too though so shall put it down to hormones for now (and add it to my secret list of slightly crazy names that I love but DH will never go for....)

My Mums dog is called Murphy. He's large, slobbery and lazy.

Please don't.

My friend has a dog called Murphy.

madness!

I like it, but not sure I would be brave enough to use it.

My feelings exactly Agora! Wasn't brave enough to use the name I really loved for DS1 either so he has it as a middle name - and although lots of people love the middle name and comment how good it is, he actually really suits his name so was probably for the best!!

I love the name Murphy! Struggling to understand the reaction on this thread to be honest!

It's at best a good dogs name.
It's the most common surname in Ireland so it's hardly something a bit different.

Keep looking please

Please God NO.

My mum had a cat of this name. He was beautiful but not obedient at all.

ExMIL used t say if she ever saw any of the DCs picking their noses -- 'that's how Murphy lost an eye'.

Murtagh is much nicer if you must go with something along those lines.