Duffett History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The ancient roots of the Duffett family name are in the Anglo-Saxon culture. The name Duffett comes from when the family lived in either of the towns named Duffield in Derbyshire and in North Yorkshire. The surname Duffett belongs to the large category of Anglo-Saxon habitation names, derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Duffett family

The surname Duffett was first found in North Yorkshire at either North or South Duffield, villages and civil parishes in the Selby District. The place name dates back to the Domesday Book where it was listed as Dufeld.

Alternatively, the name could have originated from Duffield, a village, beside the River Derwent, at its junction with the River Ecclesbourne in Derbyshire. This locale also dates back to the Domesday Book where it was listed as Duvelle, but by the 12th century, the locale was known as Duffeld. The place name literally means "open land frequented by doves." 1

"In Domesday Book it is called Dunelle, and is described as having 'a church, a priest, and two mills;' it afterwards formed part of the demesne of Henry de Ferrers, who, in 1096, possessed a castle on an eminence north-west of the village, the site of which is now named Castle-Orchard." 2

Early History of the Duffett family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Duffett research. Another 200 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1190, 1273, 1379, 1383 and 1678 are included under the topic Early Duffett History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Duffett Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Duffett has appeared include Duffield, Duffeld, Duffell, Duffill, Duffitt and others.

Early Notables of the Duffett family

Another 47 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Duffett Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Duffett Ranking

In Newfoundland, Canada, the name Duffett is the 738^th most popular surname with an estimated 58 people with that name. 3

Migration of the Duffett family to Ireland

Some of the Duffett family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 35 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Duffett family

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Duffett arrived in North America very early: John Duffield, a boy of 14, who landed in Virginia in 1622. Benjamin Duffield made New Jersey his home in 1678. Over the next hundred years, the Duffield name was to be found in Philadelphia and other major eastern seaboard cities..

Contemporary Notables of the name Duffett (post 1700) +

Nicola Duffett (b. 1963), English actress, best known for her role as Debbie Bates in EastEnders from 1993 to 1995
Shelagh Duffett, Canadian folk artist from Nova Scotia

The Duffett Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Semper fidelis
Motto Translation: Always faithful.

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)