Duff is used as a family name or surname in Scotland, Ireland. It is 4 characters long in length.

Family Name / Last Name: Duff
No. of characters: 4
Origin: Scotland, Ireland
Meaning:

A historian states that the Earl of Fife's descent from Fife Mac Duff, in the IX century, is unsupported by any evidence. The real descent (he adds) is that given in Douglas's Baronage.

Variant form of the Duffus. A parish on the coast of Morayshire, Scotland. The name may, however, be a corruption of Dovehouse, like Bacchus from Backhouse, or Malthus from Malthouse. In support of the latter derivation, one may cite the de Duffus, del Duffus, Dufhus, Columbiers, and de Columbariis of the Hundred Rolls Residence near one of the great monastic or manorial pigeon houses of the middle ages would readily confer such a surname.

Duff is a variant of the Duffey. Probably D'Auffay, a small town in Normandy, on the Dieppe and Rouen railway. In Hundred Rolls Dofi.

This noble family is derived from Fife Mac-Duff, who was a man of considerable wealth and power in Scotland temp. king Kenneth II., and gave that prince great assistance in his wars with the Picts about the year 834. Kenneth made him a maormor or kinglet, and gave him the lands which he called after his Christian name, Fife, now the shire or county of that designation. His descendants, from their great dignity, were sometimes called kings of Fife, and they were entitled to place the king of Scotland on the inaugural stone, to lead the van of the royal army, and to enjoy the privilege of a sanctuary for the clan Mac Duff, of which he was the founder. Gaz. Scoti. The Earl of Fife is a descendant of a junior branch of this ancient line.

Black.

Is variant form of the Kilduff. The son of the black youth.

Grandson of Dubh meaning "black"; one with a swarthy complexion, black.

Variant of the Duffy. Grandson of Dubhthach meaning "black".

Family name Duff is a variation of the MacDuff. The son of Dubh meaning "dark".

How popular is Duff?

Duff is common in United States, England, Australia, Canada, Scotland, Nigeria, Ireland, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, South Africa, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, Wales, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Panama, Philippines.

Duff is ranked 11440 on our list.

Despite the fact that the number of Duff bearers increased by 2.59 per cent in 2010 US census to 16536 since 2000, the surname slipped by 144 spots and ranked at 2202. The last name was found in around 6 per hundred thousand population. Please refer to following table for race and ethnicity.

Race 2010 2000
White 86.15 87.34
Black 8.98 8.62
Hispanic or Latino 2.17 1.58
Others 1.58 1.56
Asian and Native Hawaiian
& Other Pacific Islander		 0.76 0.54
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.37 0.36
Duff is quite popular family name mostly used in United States however Isle of Man is ahead in terms of density. Around 49175 people have been found who wears Duff as their family name. Duff is used widely across the globe. More detailed information can be found below:
RankCountryCount
Countries with ten thousands of Duff:
2,016 United States22,872
Countries with thousands of Duff:
1,449 England5,662
934 Australia4,234
1,505 Canada3,656
258 Scotland3,651
4,634 Nigeria2,832
459 Ireland1,935
610 New Zealand1,175
Countries with hundreds of Duff:
502 Northern Ireland748
14,831 South Africa430
4,455 Switzerland279
29,524 Saudi Arabia159
2,614 Wales124
1,999 Jamaica116
1,655 Trinidad and Tobago110
2,074 Panama101
86,102 Philippines101
Countries with low frequency i.e., 50 - 100:
195 Isle of Man70
113,182 France65
1,921 Guyana55
29,899 Japan54
29,291 Zimbabwe54
Countries with very low frequency i.e., 10 - 50:
56,573 Argentina49
200,579 Thailand48
10,086 Portugal38
142,916 Brazil37
115,720 Germany37
6,884 Singapore34
14,299 Chile30
22,758 United Arab Emirates28
48,277 Malaysia27
369,827 India26
51,392 Spain25
26,357 Norway21
4,164 China18
42,433 Sweden17
103,776 Italy16
32,022 Denmark11
410,938 Indonesia11
Countries with very very low frequency i.e., 6 - 10:
2,218 Belize10
153,484 Iran10
54,181 Israel10
81,846 Netherlands10
5,469 Bahrain9
4,381 Costa Rica9
19,532 Malawi9
54,497 Morocco9
30,726 Qatar9
3,029 Guam8
4,774 Hong Kong8
379 Turks and Caicos Islands8
50,495 Mexico7
39,591 Venezuela7
Show Full Last Name Distribution

Immigrants to US

From Ireland

During the great famine, 22 years old workman John Duff who was residing in Co.Tyrone, Ireland migrated to New-Providence on May 16, 1846 by Eliazbeth put out from Liverpool. Rose Duff (19) Maid, James Duff (30) Workman, Brickmaker Patrick Duff, Maid Bridget Duff, Thomas Duff, aged 20, Sally Duff, aged 26, Margaret Duff (70), Patk. Duff, aged 20, and 145 other Duff around 50.56% of whom were workman while others worked as servant and spinster, farmer, weaver, dressmaker, mechanic, miner migrated to US.

From Germany

20 years old farmer Thd. Duff who was residing in Germany migrated to USA on July 10, 1865 by City Of Baltimore put out from Liverpool. Farmer Dorothea Duff, Dorothea Duff, aged 22, Appollonia Duff, F. Duff, aged 28, S.H. Duff, aged 19, Elisabeth Duff (21) Servant, Sarah Duff (28), 30 years old Sol. Duff, are other Duff that migrated to US from Bremen, Havre, Liverpool, Bremen & Southampton, Havre & Plymouth and Antwerp.

Duff Namesakes

  • Tom Duff, computer programmer
  • James Fitzjames Duff, English educator
  • Jason Duff, member of the team that won the bronze medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics
  • Lyn Duff, American journalist with the Pacific News Service and KPFA radio's 'Flashpoints'
  • George Skene Duff, Scottish politician, the son of Sir Alexander Duff
  • Mary Ann Duff, English tragedienne
  • Frank Duff, is known especially for bringing attention to the role of the laity during the Second Vatican Council of the Roman Catholic Church as well as for founding the Legion of Mary
  • Wilson Duff, Canadian archaeologist, cultural anthropologist
  • Charles Duff, Irish author of books on language learning and other subjects
  • Lockhart Duff, Landowner
  • Rick Duff, retired boxer from Canada,
  • Chris Duff, American expedition sea kayaker
  • Duncan Duff, British stage
  • Iain S. Duff, British mathematician and computer scientist,
  • Haylie Duff, American actress, singer, songwriter
  • Lyman Duff, eighth Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada
  • Andrew Duff, Liberal Democrat politician
  • James H. Duff, American lawyer and politician
  • Damien Duff, Irish professional football coach and former player
  • Figgy Duff, Canadian folk-rock band from Newfoundland
  • Alan Duff, New Zealand novelist and newspaper columnist
  • Dick Duff, Canadian retired professional ice hockey forward
  • Graham Duff, English writer, actor and producer
  • Howard Duff, American actor of film, television, stage
  • Peggy Duff, British political activist
  • Warren B. Duff, film and television writer and producer
  • James Grant Duff, British soldier and historian from Scotland
  • Antony Duff, senior British diplomat and Director General of MI5
  • Reggie Duff, Australian cricketer
  • George Duff, British naval officer during the American War of Independence
  • Norwich Duff, Royal Navy officer
  • Patrick Duff, singer-songwriter
  • Anne-Marie Duff, English actress
  • M. E. Grant Duff, Scottish politician, administrator and author
  • James C. Duff, director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts
  • Denice Duff, American actress, director, and photographer
  • Patricia Duff, American political activist and a fundraiser for political and philanthropic causes
  • Stuart Duff, Scottish professional football player
  • Jeff Duff, Australian singer/cabaret performer
  • Blythe Duff, Scottish actress best
  • Jamal Duff, American actor and former American football player
  • Beauchamp Duff, Scottish officer with a distinguished highly decorated military career
  • John Duff, Canadian racecar driver
  • Vontez Duff, National Football League cornerback
  • John B. Duff, American historian
  • Hilary Duff, American actress, singer, songwriter and author
  • Larry Mac Duff, American football coach and former player
  • Kieran Duff, Irish retired Gaelic footballer
  • Shannie Duff, Canadian politician, who has served as mayor of St
  • Shane Duff, former English-born Northern Irish footballer
  • Bill Duff, former National Football League, NFL Europe

Duff Namesakes

  • Tom Duff, computer programmer
  • James Fitzjames Duff, English educator
  • Jason Duff, member of the team that won the bronze medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics
  • Lyn Duff, American journalist with the Pacific News Service and KPFA radio's 'Flashpoints'
  • George Skene Duff, Scottish politician, the son of Sir Alexander Duff
  • Mary Ann Duff, English tragedienne
  • Frank Duff, is known especially for bringing attention to the role of the laity during the Second Vatican Council of the Roman Catholic Church as well as for founding the Legion of Mary
  • Wilson Duff, Canadian archaeologist, cultural anthropologist
  • Charles Duff, Irish author of books on language learning and other subjects
  • Lockhart Duff, Landowner
  • Rick Duff, retired boxer from Canada,
  • Chris Duff, American expedition sea kayaker
  • Duncan Duff, British stage
  • Iain S. Duff, British mathematician and computer scientist,
  • Haylie Duff, American actress, singer, songwriter
  • Lyman Duff, eighth Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada
  • Andrew Duff, Liberal Democrat politician
  • James H. Duff, American lawyer and politician
  • Damien Duff, Irish professional football coach and former player
  • Figgy Duff, Canadian folk-rock band from Newfoundland
  • Alan Duff, New Zealand novelist and newspaper columnist
  • Dick Duff, Canadian retired professional ice hockey forward
  • Graham Duff, English writer, actor and producer
  • Howard Duff, American actor of film, television, stage
  • Peggy Duff, British political activist
  • Warren B. Duff, film and television writer and producer
  • James Grant Duff, British soldier and historian from Scotland
  • Antony Duff, senior British diplomat and Director General of MI5
  • Reggie Duff, Australian cricketer
  • George Duff, British naval officer during the American War of Independence
  • Norwich Duff, Royal Navy officer
  • Patrick Duff, singer-songwriter
  • Anne-Marie Duff, English actress
  • M. E. Grant Duff, Scottish politician, administrator and author
  • James C. Duff, director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts
  • Denice Duff, American actress, director, and photographer
  • Patricia Duff, American political activist and a fundraiser for political and philanthropic causes
  • Stuart Duff, Scottish professional football player
  • Jeff Duff, Australian singer/cabaret performer
  • Blythe Duff, Scottish actress best
  • Jamal Duff, American actor and former American football player
  • Beauchamp Duff, Scottish officer with a distinguished highly decorated military career
  • John Duff, Canadian racecar driver
  • Vontez Duff, National Football League cornerback
  • John B. Duff, American historian
  • Hilary Duff, American actress, singer, songwriter and author
  • Larry Mac Duff, American football coach and former player
  • Kieran Duff, Irish retired Gaelic footballer
  • Shannie Duff, Canadian politician, who has served as mayor of St
  • Shane Duff, former English-born Northern Irish footballer
  • Bill Duff, former National Football League, NFL Europe

Related Family Names: