| ![Show Contents]() Cuff History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The Cuff surname comes from the Middle English word "cuffe," which meant "glove." It is thought that the name was originally an occupational name for a maker or seller of gloves. Although most instances of the name in Ireland were through migration from England, there were native Irish bearers of Cuff from the Gaelic form of Ó Duirnin. Although this name is usually Anglicized as Durnin, it had occasionally become "Cuffe" through mistranslation, since the Gaelic word "dorn" refers to "a fist." 1 Early Origins of the Cuff familyThe surname Cuff was first found in Kilkenny (Irish: Cill Chainnigh), the former Kingdom of Osraige (Ossory), located in Southeastern Ireland in the province of Leinster, where they held a family seat from very ancient times. Early History of the Cuff familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cuff research. Another 102 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1563, 1598, 1601, 1641, 1670, 1678, 1694, 1733, 1737, 1744, 1781, 1793, 1797, 1804, 1821 and 1841 are included under the topic Early Cuff History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Cuff Spelling VariationsThe recording of names in Ireland during the Middle Ages was an inconsistent endeavor at best. Since the general population did not know how to read or write, they could only specify how their names should be recorded orally. Research into the name Cuff revealed spelling variations, including Cuff, Cuffe, Couffe, Couff, Cuffy, Cuffey, Cuffie and others. Early Notables of the Cuff familyNotable amongst the family up to this time was - Sir James Cuffe (died 1678) was an Irish politician, son of Thomas Cuffe of Somerset, he moved to Ireland with his father and brother in 1641; Michael Cuffe (1694-1744), an Irish Member of Parliament...
- Henry Cuff or Cuffe (1563-1601), was an English "author and politician, born in 1563 at Hinton St. George, Somersetshire, was youngest son of Robert Cuffe of Donyatt in that county. Of the same family...
Cuff RankingIn the United States, the name Cuff is the 9,988th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2 However, in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Cuff is ranked the 349th most popular surname with an estimated 133 people with that name. 3
 Cuff migration to the United States | + |
A great mass of Ireland's native population left the island in the 19th century, seeking relief from various forms of social, religious, and economic discrimination. This Irish exodus was primarily to North America. If the migrants survived the long ocean journey, many unfortunately would find more discrimination in the colonies of British North America and the fledgling United States of America. These newly arrived Irish were, however, wanted as a cheap source of labor for the many large agricultural and industrial projects that were essential to the development of what would become two of the wealthiest nations in the western world. Early immigration and passenger lists indicate many people bearing the Cuff name:
Cuff Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- John Cuff, who settled in Boston, Massachusetts in 1762
- John Cuff, who arrived in Boston, Massachusetts in 1765 4
- William Cuff, who arrived in America in 1765 4
- Patrick Cuff, who settled in New Jersey in 1773
- Patrick Cuff, who settled in Philadelphia in 1773
Cuff Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Sarah Cuff, who settled in New York in 1820
- Edward Cuff, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1866 4
| Cuff migration to Canada | + |
Some of the first settlers of this family name were: Cuff Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century- John Cuff, who settled in Bona Vista, Newfoundland in 1802 5
- Michael Cuff, aged 26, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Sea Horse" from Galway, Ireland
| Cuff migration to New Zealand | + |
Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include: Cuff Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century- Mrs. Julia Ann Cuff, (b. 1826), aged 32, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Indiana" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 28th November 1858 6
- Mr. John Cuff, (b. 1827), aged 31, British carpenter travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Indiana" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 28th November 1858 6
| Contemporary Notables of the name Cuff (post 1700) | + |
- John Patrick Cuff (1864-1916), American Major League Baseball catcher who played for the Baltimore Monumentals in 1884
- Ed Cuff Jr. (b. 1961), American amateur golfer
- Ward Lloyd Cuff (1914-2002), American football running back and place kicker
- Stan Cuff, American Libertarian politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Missouri 8th District, 2004 7
- Peter J. Cuff, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Pennsylvania, 1940 7
- Michael T. Cuff, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Connecticut, 1924 7
- John J. Cuff, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Pennsylvania, 1944 (alternate), 1956 7
- John Cuff, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Oregon, 2000, 2004, 2008 7
- James E. Cuff, American Republican politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from New York 38th District, 1926 7
- Ida Cuff, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Oklahoma, 1948 7
- ... (Another 9 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
| Historic Events for the Cuff family | + |
- Mr. Tom Cuff (b. 1860), Newfoundlander from Doting Cove, who on the 30th March 1914 he was part of the Seal Crew of the "SS Newfoundland" leaving the ship to intercept the Stephano which took him to the hunting grounds, he disembarked to begin sealing, but was caught in a thickening storm, attempting to return to the Newfoundland he and the 132 crew made camp for two days the sealers were stranded on the ice in a blizzard attempting to return to the ship, he survived
- Mr. William Cuff (b. 1897), Newfoundlander from Doting Cove, who on the 30th March 1914 he was part of the Seal Crew of the "SS Newfoundland" leaving the ship to intercept the Stephano which took him to the hunting grounds, he disembarked to begin sealing, but was caught in a thickening storm, attempting to return to the Newfoundland he and the 132 crew made camp for two days the sealers were stranded on the ice in a blizzard attempting to return to the ship, he survived
- Mr. Daniel Cuff (1882-1914), Newfoundlander from Doting Cove, who on the 30th March 1914 he was part of the Seal Crew of the "SS Newfoundland" leaving the ship to intercept the Stephano which took him to the hunting grounds, he disembarked to begin sealing, but was caught in a thickening storm, attempting to return to the Newfoundland he and the 132 crew made camp for two days the sealers were stranded on the ice in a blizzard attempting to return to the ship, he died during this time
- Mr. Simeon Cuff (1888-1914), Newfoundlander from Bonavista, who on the 30th March 1914 he was part of the Seal Crew of the "SS Newfoundland" leaving the ship to intercept the Stephano which took him to the hunting grounds, he disembarked to begin sealing, but was caught in a thickening storm, attempting to return to the Newfoundland he and the 132 crew made camp for two days the sealers were stranded on the ice in a blizzard attempting to return to the ship, he died during this time
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: Animus tamen idem
Motto Translation: Yet our mind is unchanged.
- MacLysaght, Edward, More Irish Families. Dublin: Irish Academic Press, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-0126-0)
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- 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)
- 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)
- Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
- New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
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Cuff migration to the United States 
Cuff migration to Canada 
Cuff migration to New Zealand 
England
Ireland
