Duff Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Duff last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Duff last name
Meaning of the Duff last name: black, dark. Duff is a Scottish surname from Gaelic dubh, "black, dark", a nickname for a dark-haired man. The MacDuff family were Earls of Fife, and Shakespeare's Macduff kills Macbeth. It is common in Aberdeenshire and Perthshire. The last name is also Irish, from Ó Duibh.
Arms associated with the Duff name
In Scottish heraldry, coats of arms associated with the Duff name are personal, each with its own blazon.
Get your full Duff family history
This is only a glimpse of the Duff story. The full Duff history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Duff coat of arms. Get the full Duff report.
Duff name FAQ
What does the Duff name mean?
Black, dark. Common variants include Dow, MacDuff.
Where does the Duff surname come from?
It originates in Scotland, and is also found in the United States, Canada and Australia.
Is there a Duff coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Duff coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: George F. Black, The Surnames of Scotland (New York Public Library, 1946); Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).