Contents [hide]

Duck History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Duck History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany
Ireland

The Duck surname comes from the German term for a duck or diving bird (from du(c)ken ‘to dive or duck’). It is thought to have been a nickname for someone thought to resemble the duck, but in some instances may have been an occupational name for someone whose trade involved the handling of ducks.

Early Origins of the Duck family

The surname Duck was first found in Westphalia, where the name emerged in mediaeval times as one of the notable families in the western region. From the 13th century onwards the surname was identified with the great social and economic evolution which made this territory a landmark contributor to the development of the nation.

Early History of the Duck family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Duck research. Another 137 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1671, 1687, 1720, 1819, 1833 and 1846 are included under the topic Early Duck History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Duck Spelling Variations

In the medieval era, many different cultural groups lived in the German states. There are thus many regional variations of German surnames from that era. Westphalians spoke Low German, which is similar to modern Dutch. Many German names carry suffixes that identify where they came from. Others have phrases attached that identify something about the original bearer. Other variations in German names resulted from the fact that medieval scribes worked without the aid of any spelling rules. The spelling variations of the name Duck include Ducker, Dücker, Ducher, Duckermann and many more.

Early Notables of the Duck family

Notables of the period with the name Duck were

the Ducker family of Westphalia

Duck Ranking

In the United States, the name Duck is the 5,998^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1

Duck migration to the United States +

The great European flow of migration to North America, which began in the middle of the 17th century and continued into the 20th century, was particularly attractive to those from the Rhineland who wished to escape either poverty or religious persecution. Many of those who left the Rhineland to seek their fortunes in the prosperous and free New World settled in the major urban centers of the United States and Canada. In the United States, the settlers from the Rhineland passed through immigration centers like that of Ellis Island, most of them moving on to Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, and New York. In Canada, the majority of Rhinelanders settled in Ontario and the prairie provinces. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has revealed many important settlers to North America bearing the name Duck, or one of its variants above:

Duck Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Duck who settled in New England in 1654
Ri Duck, who arrived in Virginia in 1666 2
Susanna Duck, who arrived in Maryland in 1666 2

Duck Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Eliza Duck, who arrived in Virginia in 1701 2
Mary Duck, who arrived in Virginia in 1713 2

Duck Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Daniel Duck, who arrived in New York in 1831 2
Rollins R Duck, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1844 2
Levi Duck, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 2
Aron Duck, aged 28, who landed in New York, NY in 1874 2
Cath Duck, aged 9, who arrived in New York, NY in 1875 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Duck Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

George Augustus Duck, who arrived in Alabama in 1918 2

Duck migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Duck Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Abraham Duck, who arrived in Manitoba in 1874
Cornelius Duck, who landed in Manitoba in 1874
David Duck, who landed in Manitoba in 1874
Duerk Duck, who arrived in Manitoba in 1874
Gehrhard Duck, who landed in Manitoba in 1874
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Duck migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Duck Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Alfred Duck, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Rajasthan" in 1838 3
David Duck, aged 31, who arrived in South Australia in 1852 aboard the ship "Amazon" 4
Edwin Duck, aged 20, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1857 aboard the ship "Lady Ann"

Duck 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:

Duck Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

John & Wife Duck, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1842 aboard the ship Broman
John Duck, aged 23, a cabinet maker, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Birman" in 1842
Eliza Duck, aged 21, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Birman" in 1842
David Duck, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ann Wilson" in 1857
Sarah Duck, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ann Wilson" in 1857
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Duck (post 1700) +

Andrew J. Duck (b. 1962), United States Democratic candidate for the United States House of Representatives for Maryland's 6th congressional district in the 2018
C. A. Duck, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Texas, 1916 5
Simeon Duck (1834-1905), Canadian businessman and politician who represented Victoria City in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia (1871 to 1875), (1882 to 1886) and (1888 to 1890)
Jenny Duck (b. 1968), New Zealand bronze medalist field hockey player at the 1998 Commonwealth Games
Emma Duck (b. 1981), British sprinter and hurdler known for the 400 metres and the 400 metre hurdles

Citations +

"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)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) RAJASTHAN 1838. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1838Rajasthan.htm
South Australian Register Tuesday 3 February 1852. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) AMAZON 1852. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/amazon1852.shtml
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 13) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html