Home › Irish Surnames › Duff

Irish surname

Duff: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Ó Duibh; Mac Giolla Dhuibh; Mac Duibh · 'black' (Irish 'dubh'): Ó Duibh 'descendant of Dubh (Black)'; Mac Duibh 'son of Dubh'; Mac Giolla Dhuibh 'son of Giolla Dubh (the black youth)'

Woulfe (1923) prints Duff under several Irish names, all built on 'dubh', black: Ó Duibh, an old family of Leix; Mac Giolla Dhuibh, with families in Cavan, Ui Maine and Sligo; and Mac Duibh, where he notes a Scottish clan. In 1890 Matheson records 45 entries including spelling varieties (41 spelled Duff).

Shop Duff crest giftsRead the history
Coat of arms associated with the Duff surname
Irish formÓ Duibh; Mac Giolla Dhuibh; Mac Duibh
Meaning'black' (Irish 'dubh'): Ó Duibh 'descendant of Dubh (Black)'; Mac Duibh 'son of Dubh'; Mac Giolla Dhuibh 'son of Giolla Dubh (the black youth)'
CountiesCavan, Antrim, Dublin, Louth
Other spellings4
Welcome offer $10 off orders of $20 or more with code WELCOME10 One use per customer. Cannot be combined with other offers.

Duff crest gifts

Clan Duff Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap RM21 Duff Coat Of Arms Irish Cap Duff Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap$33.45Clan Duff Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapBF89 Classic Cap - Duff Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Duff Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap$42.45Duff Irish coat of arms glass ornaments, heart and round, hanging on a Christmas treeDuff Coat of Arms – Irish Family Crest Glass Ornament$24.99Duff Irish coat of arms acrylic ornament hanging on a Christmas treeDuff Coat of Arms – Irish Family Crest Ornament$19.99

Origin of the Duff name

Woulfe: Ó Duibh is 'the name of an old family in Leix who were chiefs of Cinel Criomhthainn, in the present barony of East Maryborough', also apparently of a Connacht family. Mac Giolla Dhuibh is the name of families in Cavan (chiefs of Tullygarvey), in Ui Maine (Caladh) and in Sligo (Ui Fiachrach).[1][2]

  1. 1071Four Masters: Lorcan, son of Flaithniadh Ua Duibh, lord of Creamhthannain, is slain.[6]
  2. 1252Four Masters: Manus Mac Gilduff, Chief of Tullygarvey, died.[7]
  3. 1378Four Masters: Mac Gilduff is among those killed when an incursion by Mac Rannall was defeated.[8]
  4. 189045 Duff entries including spelling varieties (41 spelled Duff).[5]

Where in Ireland

Co. CavanWoulfe: Mac Giolla Dhuibh, formerly chief of the barony of Tullygarvey.[2]
Co. AntrimListed first by Matheson among Duff's principal counties in 1890.[5]
Co. DublinAlso listed by Matheson among Duff's principal counties in 1890.[5]
Co. LouthAlso listed by Matheson among Duff's principal counties in 1890.[5]

Notable people named Duff

Mary Anne Duffd. 1832Actress born in Dublin (maiden name Dyke); emigrated to the United States in 1810; died in Cincinnati.[9]

Other spellings

O Duff · MacDuff · Gilduff · Kilduff[1]

Scottish connection

Woulfe: 'there is a Scottish clan Mac Duibh, of which the old Earls of Fife were the heads', and he says Mac Giolla Dhuibh 'was also common in other parts of Ireland and in Scotland'.[3][2]

The Duff coat of arms

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the Duff surname. In Irish and British heraldry a coat of arms is granted to one person and passes to their heirs; it does not belong to everyone who shares the surname. Many families still use the arms of their name as a symbol of their heritage.

Duff surname: questions

What does the surname Duff mean?

Woulfe says Duff comes from Irish 'dubh', black. Ó Duibh means 'descendant of Dubh (Black)', and Mac Giolla Dhuibh means 'son of Giolla Dubh (the black youth)'.[1][2][4]

Where in Ireland is the Duff name from?

Woulfe places Ó Duibh in Leix, and Mac Giolla Dhuibh in Cavan, in Ui Maine (chiefs of Caladh, Co. Galway) and in Sligo. Matheson's 1890 report lists Antrim, Dublin and Louth as the principal counties for Duff.[1][2][5]

Is Duff the same as Duffy?

Woulfe treats them as different names: he gives Duff under Ó Duibh, Mac Giolla Dhuibh and Mac Duibh, and Duffy under Ó Dubhthaigh ('descendant of Dubhthach'), which has its own page.[1][2][3][10]

Is Duff a Scottish name?

Woulfe mentions a Scottish clan Mac Duibh, of which the old Earls of Fife were the heads, besides the Irish families bearing the name, and says Mac Giolla Dhuibh was also common in Scotland.[3][2]

Sources

  1. Ó Duibh — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/od/o-duibh.php
  2. Mac Giolla Dhuibh — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/macg/mac-giolla-dhuibh.php
  3. Mac Duibh — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/macd/mac-duibh.php
  4. Dubh — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/d/dubh.php
  5. Duff — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/duff.php
  6. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), entry M1071 — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005B/text017.html
  7. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), entry M1252 — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005C/text009.html
  8. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), entry M1378 — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005D/text001.html
  9. Duff, Mary Anne — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/MaryAnneDuff.php
  10. Ó Dubhthaigh — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/od/o-dubhthaigh.php

Note: Matheson's 1890 figures for a surname include its spelling varieties (Matheson, Table Explanation).