Blair Collection > Surnames & place-names of the Isle of Man

CuRPHEY, contracted from Mac Mnrchadha, ' Murchad's
son' (jnuir, 'sea,' cathaide, 'warrior'). Murchad
was formerly anglicised Murchoe, now Murphy.
' Domhnall Dall Ua Murchada, chief sage of
Leinster,' a.d. 1127.* (This would now be angli-
cised ' Blind Daniel Murphy.')
' Diarmid Mac Murchada, King of Leinster,' a.d. 1137.!
Mac Murchada is sometimes anglicised
Murray.
It has been suggested that Curghey, the earlier
form of the name in the Isle of Man, is a contrac-
tion of CuRRAGHEY (belonging to the Ciirragh). It
is certainly true that the name is much more
common in the Curragh district than elsewhere,
but still this derivation appears more apt than
likely. It is a purely Manx name. Some of the
Curpheys themselves hold that the name was
originally Curry, that it became Curghey in
Manx lips, and that it was brought back into
English as Curphey. There is a Finlo Mac
Curry mentioned in the Statute Law Book, under
date 1504. (See Mac Curry, p. 69.)
M*=CURGHEY [1422], COURGHEY, ChURGIE [i6oi] ,
Curghey [i6og], Curphey [1643].
Curghey is the usual form till the middle of the
eighteenth century.
KiNNiSH and Kennish, contracted from Mac Aenghuis,
' Aenghus's son ' (asn, ' one,' gtts, * strength ').
' Duneath McAoNGUiS,' a.d. 620.|
* Four Mast., Vol. II., p. 1027. f Four Mast., Vol. II., p. 1057.
X Annals of Ulster.