Duff History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  Ireland 
  Scotland 


The Picts were the ancient Scottish tribe where the ancestors of the Duff family lived. The name Duff comes from the Gaelic Dubh or the older Gaelic word Dub.

Early Origins of the Duff family

The surname Duff was first found in Perthshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Pheairt) former county in the present day Council Area of Perth and Kinross, located in central Scotland, where one of the first records of the name was Duncan Duff who was witness to a charter in 1275.

The Clan claim descent from Duff (Dubh, the Black) (d. 967), King of Celtic Alban. He was son of Malcolm and succeeded, in 962, Constantine as king. " In 965 Duff defeated Colin, the son of Indulph, supported by the abbot of Dunkeld and the chief of Athole at Drumcrub in Strathearn. Two years later Colin reversed this victory and expelled Duff, who, according to a later chronicle, was afterwards, when attempting to recover his kingdom, slain at Forres. His body was hidden under the bridge of Kinloss, and the sun did not shine till it was found and buried. An eclipse on 10 July 967 may have originated or confirmed this story." 1

Early History of the Duff family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Duff research. Another 127 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1320 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Duff History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Duff Spelling Variations

When the first dictionaries were invented in the last few hundred years, spelling gradually became standardized. Before that time, scribes spelled according to sound. Names were often recorded under different spelling variations every time they were written. Duff has been written Duff, MacDuff and others.

Early Notables of the Duff family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was

Duff World Ranking

In the United States, the name Duff is the 2,163rd most popular surname with an estimated 14,922 people with that name. 2 However, in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Duff is ranked the 776th most popular surname with an estimated 54 people with that name. 3 And in Australia, the name Duff is the 934th popular surname with an estimated 4,234 people with that name. 4 New Zealand ranks Duff as 610th with 1,175 people. 5 The United Kingdom ranks Duff as 902nd with 7,600 people. 6

Migration of the Duff family to Ireland

Some of the Duff family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 75 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Duff migration to the United States +

The crossing to North America did not seem so great in comparison with the hardships many Scots endured at home. It was long, expensive, and cramped, but also rewarding. North America offered land and the chance for settlers to prove themselves in a new place. And many did prove themselves as they fought to forge a new nation in the American War of Independence. The ancestors of those Scots can now experience much of their once-lost heritage through the Clan societies and highland games that have sprung up across North America in the last century. A search of immigration and passenger lists revealed many important, early immigrants to North America bearing the name of Duff:

Duff Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Duff Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
Duff Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Duff migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Duff Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
Duff Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Duff migration to Australia +

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

Duff Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Duff 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:

Duff Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Duff migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 14
Duff Settlers in West Indies in the 18th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Duff (post 1700) +


The Duff 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.


Suggested Readings for the name Duff +
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