Duffen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Etymology of Duffen

What does the name Duffen mean?

The generations and branches of the Duffen family share a name that has its roots in the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. The name Duffen comes from the Old Norse personal name Dólgfinnr, which was popular in the north of England during the 11th century. However, the surname Duffen may also de derived from the Old Norse forename Dufan, which was borrowed from the Old Irish personal name Dubán.

Early Origins of the Duffen family

The surname Duffen was first found in Yorkshire where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066.

Early History of the Duffen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Duffen research. Another 87 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1379 is included under the topic Early Duffen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Duffen Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Duffen include Duffin, Duffan, Duffyn, Duffane, Duffen and others.

Early Notables of the Duffen family

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

Migration of the Duffen family to Ireland

Some of the Duffen family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 44 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Duffen migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Duffen or a variant listed above:

Duffen Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Duffen, who settled in Chicago in 1853

Duffen migration to Australia +

Duffen Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Miss. Ann Duffen, (b. 1832), aged 18, Scottish country servant who was convicted in Glasgow, Scotland for 7 years for assault, transported aboard the "Baretto Junior" on 5th April 1850, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), she died in 1899 1

Sources +

Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/baretto-junior