Show ContentsDuda History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The origins of the German surname Duda can be traced to Poland. The name is derived from the Slavic word "duda," meaning "street musician." It is likely that the original bearer of this surname was a wandering minstrel, perhaps traveling through Poland.

Early Origins of the Duda family

The surname Duda was first found in East Prussia, near the border between Germany and Poland, where it is likely that the initial bearer of the name originally resided.

Early History of the Duda family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Duda research. Another 64 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1801 and 1858 are included under the topic Early Duda History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Duda Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Duda, Dudda, Duddek, Dudek, Dudka, Dudy, Dudas and many more.

Early Notables of the Duda family

Notable figures of the time with the name Duda were

  • Lemuel Duda, a German soldier who fought in the American Revolution, and August Duda (1801-1858), a prominent lawyer

Duda Ranking

In the United States, the name Duda is the 7,159th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1

Migration of the Duda family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Anna Duda, who came to New Orleans in 1854; and Joseph Dudda, who was naturalized in New York in 1894.


Contemporary Notables of the name Duda (post 1700) +

  • Walter Duda (b. 1911), prominent American state senator and professor
  • Walter Duda (1911-2001), American politician, Member of Illinois State Senate 15th District, 1969-73 2
  • Peggy Duda, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Texas, 2012 2
  • June Duda, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Florida, 2004 2
  • John Duda, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate in primary for Illinois superintendent of public instruction, 1922 2
  • Fritz Duda (b. 1904), well-known German artist

Bismarck
  • Erwin Duda (1922-1941), German Matrose who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 3


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 13) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  3. Bismarck & Tirpitz Class - Crew List Bismarck. (Retrieved 2018, February 06). Retrieved from https://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/crew/bismarck_crew.html#crew_details


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