Show ContentsKilduff History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Kilduff family comes from the ancient Scottish Dalriadan clans of the mountainous west coast of Scotland. The name Kilduff is derived from an old Gaelic personal name. The Gaelic form of the name is Mac Dhuibh. [1]

"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. 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. " [2]

Early Origins of the Kilduff family

The surname Kilduff was first found in Perthshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Pheairt) former county in the present day Council Area of Perth and Kinross, located in central Scotland.

Some believe MacDuff, the Thane of Fife, portrayed by Shakespeare as the rival of Macbeth, was a myth created by medieval writers. [1]

However this passage proves otherwise: "When the revolution was accomplished, in which Macbeth was bethroned and slain, Malcolm, sensible of the high services of the Thane of Fife, is said to have promised to grant the first three requests he should make. Macduff accordingly demanded (an obtained), 1st that he and his successors, Lords of Fife, should place the crown on the King's head at the coronation; 2ndly, that they should lead the vanguard of the army whenever the royal banner was displayed; and lastly, this privilege of the Clan Macduff, whereby any person, being related to Macduff within the ninth degree, and having committed homicide in chaude melé (without premeditation ) should, upon flying Macduff's Cross, and paying a certain fine, obtain remission of their guilt." [3]

So as to further prove the point, the first Earl of the name, Gillemichel, did emerge by the time of King David I, and he and his descendants had privileges including the right to crown the King of Scotland and to lead the Scottish army.

Furthermore, the MacDuff family traditionally crowned each monarch. But, they were opposed to Robert the Bruce, who gained the throne in 1306. Duncan MacDuff, the Earl of Fife's sister was sent to perform the task. Isabella MacDuff, Countess of Buchan (died c. 1314), sister of Duncan, Earl of Fife did crown Robert the Bruce in March 1306, much to her chagrin. Bruce was defeated at the Battle of Methven in June 1306, so he sent Isabella and other female relatives but they were betrayed Uilleam II, Earl of Ross. Edward I ordered her to be sent to Berwick-upon-Tweed to be caged as a public spectacle. She was caged for four years and is presumed to have died in captivity.

Lord Macduff, the Thane of Fife, is a character in William Shakespeare's Macbeth. The character kills Macbeth in the final act. It is generally thought that Shakespeare drew the character from the Holinshed's Chronicles (1587.)

Early History of the Kilduff family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kilduff research. Another 166 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1353, 1358, 1725, 1759 and 1889 are included under the topic Early Kilduff History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kilduff Spelling Variations

Translation in medieval times was an undeveloped science and was often carried out without due care. For this reason, many early Scottish names appeared radically altered when written in English. The spelling variations of Kilduff include MacDuff, McDuff, MacDhuibh (Gaelic) and others.

Early Notables of the Kilduff family

Notable amongst the Clan from early times was Isobel Macduff (1296-1358), the Countess of Buchan, best known for when she left her husband, the Earl of Buchan and stole his warhorses; William Duff of Braco...
Another 35 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Kilduff Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Kilduff migration to the United States +

The hardy Scots who made the crossing settled all along the east coast of North America and in the great west that was just then opening up. At the time of the American War of Independence, many United Empire Loyalists moved north from the American colonies to Canada. Scottish national heritage became better known in North America in the 20th century through highland games and other patriotic events. An examination of immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Kilduff arrived in North America very early:

Kilduff Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • James Kilduff, who arrived in Mobile County, Ala in 1844 [4]
  • Edward Kilduff, who arrived in Mobile, Ala in 1849 [4]
  • Patrick Kilduff, who arrived in Mobile, Ala in 1856 [4]
  • Michael Kilduff, who landed in Mobile, Ala in 1858 [4]

Contemporary Notables of the name Kilduff (post 1700) +

  • Thomas S. Kilduff, American neuroscientist and the director of SRI International's Center for Neuroscience
  • Christine Kilduff, American politician, Member of the Washington House of Representatives (2015-)
  • Malcolm MacGregor "Mac" Kilduff Jr. (1927-2003), American journalist, best known for making the public announcement of the death of U.S. President John F. Kennedy
  • Peter John "Pete" Kilduff (1893-1930), American former professional baseball player who played in the 1920 World Series
  • Marshall Kilduff (b. 1949), American journalist at the San Francisco Chronicle
  • Martin Kilduff, Professor at the UCL School of Management [5]
  • Vinnie Kilduff (b. 1960), Irish Grammy award-winning multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter, one of best known contemporary tin whistle players
  • Mitchell Kilduff (b. 1996), Australian swimmer at the 2012 Summer Paralympics
  • Ciarán Kilduff (b. 1988), Irish footballer


The Kilduff 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: Deus juvat
Motto Translation: God assists.


  1. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  2. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  3. Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 2 of 3
  4. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  5. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, March 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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