McDuffie History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland
Scotland
England

Etymology of McDuffie

What does the name McDuffie mean?

McDuffie is an ancient Dalriadan-Scottish nickname for a dark-featured, peaceful person. The Gaelic name of the Clan is Mac Dubhshithe, which translates as black one of peace. One branch of the Clan on the island of North Uist was known as Dubh-sidh, meaning 'black fairy,' due to their whimsical association with the faerie folk. 1 2

Early Origins of the McDuffie family

The surname McDuffie was first found in on the Isle of Colonsay, where the eponymous ancestor of the Clan may be Dubhshith, also called Dubside, who was lector at the Cathedral on the sacred isle of Iona in 1164. As the name MacFee is one of the oldest of all Dalriadan surnames it appears in records as early as the reign of Alexander II, when Johannes Macdufthi was witness to a charter in Dumfriesshire. In 1296, Thomas Macdoffy swore an oath of allegiance to King Edward I of England. 2

Early History of the McDuffie family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McDuffie research. Another 398 words (28 lines of text) covering the years 1506, 1512, 1531, 1532, 1541, 1569, 1585, 1595, 1605, 1609, 1626, 1681, 1703, 1723, 1747, 1838, 1845, 1850, 1890 and 1981 are included under the topic Early McDuffie History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McDuffie 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 McDuffie include MacFie, McFey, MacFee, MacDuffie, MacPhee, MacGuffie, MacCuffie, MacPhie, Maffie, Maffey, MacDubh-shithe (Gaelic) and many more.

Early Notables of the McDuffie family

More information is included under the topic Early McDuffie Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McDuffie Ranking

the United States, the name McDuffie is the 2,692^nd most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. 3

Migration of the McDuffie family to Ireland

Some of the McDuffie family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 89 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McDuffie migration to the United States +

Ancestors of many of the Dalriadan families who crossed the Atlantic still live along the east coast of the United States and Canada. Some Scottish settlers arrived in Canada during the American War of Independence as United Empire Loyalists, while others stayed south to fight for a new nation. The descendants of Scottish settlers in both countries began to rediscover their heritage in the 19th and 20th centuries through Clan societies and highland games. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name McDuffie or a variant listed above:

McDuffie Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Anna McDuffie, who landed in New York in 1738 4
Anne McDuffie, who landed in New York, NY in 1738 4
Dudly McDuffie, who landed in New York in 1738 4
Malcolm McDuffie, who landed in New York in 1738 4
Malcom McDuffie, who landed in New York in 1738 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McDuffie Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Neil McDuffie, aged 33, who arrived in North Carolina in 1812 4

Contemporary Notables of the name McDuffie (post 1700) +

Arthur McDuffie (1946-1979), American whose death at the hands of Miami-Dade police caused riots
John McDuffie (1883-1950), American Democratic Party politician, Prosecuting attorney, 1st Circuit, 1911-19; U.S. Representative from Alabama 1st District, 1919-35; Resigned 1935; Judge of U.S. District Court, 1935-50
W. E. McDuffie, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Texas, 1972
W. Cliff McDuffie, American politician, Mayor of Zephyrhills, Florida, 2002-12
Sylvia D. McDuffie, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Texas, 1996, 2004
John Van McDuffie (1841-1896), American Republican politician, Probate judge in Alabama, 1868-80; Delegate to Alabama State Constitutional Convention, 1875; U.S. Representative from Alabama 4th District, 1890-91
James G. McDuffie, American politician, Member of California State Assembly 15th District, 1854-55
Frances McDuffie, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from North Carolina, 2004
George McDuffie (1790-1851), American Democratic Party politician, U.S. Representative from South Carolina, 1821-34 (6th District 1821-23, 5th District 1823-34); Governor of South Carolina, 1834-36; U.S. Senator from South Carolina, 1842-46
... (Another 12 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Sources +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
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)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)