NameCensus.

UK surname

Duffey

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Dubhthaigh," meaning "descendant of Dubhthach," a personal name meaning "dark."

In the 1881 census there were 1,068 people recorded with the Duffey surname, ranking it #3,700 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 388, ranked #12,133, down from #3,700 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Edinburgh and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stockton-on-Tees, Sevenoaks and County Durham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Duffey is 1,068 in 1881. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 63.7%.

1881 census count

1,068

Ranked #3,700

Modern count

388

2016, ranked #12,133

Peak year

1881

1,068 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Duffey had 1,068 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,700 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 388 in 2016, ranked #12,133.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,068 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Duffey surname distribution map

The map shows where the Duffey surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Duffey surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Duffey over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 570 #4,463
1861 historical 914 #3,030
1881 historical 1,068 #3,700
1891 historical 1,021 #4,078
1901 historical 822 #5,496
1911 historical 569 #7,112
1997 modern 404 #10,931
1998 modern 403 #11,275
1999 modern 411 #11,231
2000 modern 397 #11,463
2001 modern 388 #11,459
2002 modern 411 #11,208
2003 modern 388 #11,508
2004 modern 383 #11,650
2005 modern 375 #11,752
2006 modern 400 #11,257
2007 modern 388 #11,630
2008 modern 397 #11,556
2009 modern 408 #11,541
2010 modern 421 #11,519
2011 modern 408 #11,681
2012 modern 396 #11,807
2013 modern 397 #11,988
2014 modern 394 #12,144
2015 modern 389 #12,165
2016 modern 388 #12,133

Geography

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Where Duffeys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Edinburgh, Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Stockton-on-Tees, Sevenoaks, County Durham, Cornwall and East Staffordshire. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stockton-on-Tees 014 Stockton-on-Tees
2 Sevenoaks 010 Sevenoaks
3 County Durham 048 County Durham
4 Cornwall 017 Cornwall
5 East Staffordshire 010 East Staffordshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Duffey

These lists show first names that appear often with the Duffey surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Duffey

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Duffey, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Duffey surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Duffey household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Duffey is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Duffey is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Duffey falls in decile 2 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Duffey is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Duffey, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Duffey

The surname Duffey is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic personal name "Dubhshith" meaning "black man." It is believed to have originated in the 12th century in the northern part of Ireland, particularly in the counties of Antrim and Down.

One of the earliest known records of the name Duffey dates back to the 16th century, when a man named John Duffey was mentioned in the Fiants of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth I, a collection of legal documents from the Irish Court of Chancery.

In the 17th century, the Duffey surname appeared in the Hearth Money Rolls, a tax record collected in Ireland between 1662 and 1666. This suggests that the name was well-established in various parts of Ireland during that time period.

The Duffey name is also associated with several place names in Ireland, such as Duffeystown in County Meath and Duffeyrath in County Down. These place names likely originated from individuals or families bearing the Duffey surname who lived or owned land in those areas.

One notable individual with the surname Duffey was Sir Patrick Duffey (1853-1920), an Irish politician and barrister who served as a Member of Parliament for Belfast North from 1900 to 1918. He played a prominent role in the Irish Parliamentary Party and advocated for Irish Home Rule.

Another historical figure was John Duffey (1766-1839), an Irish-American printer and journalist who co-founded the New York National Advocate newspaper in 1809. He was a vocal supporter of Irish independence and a critic of British rule in Ireland.

In the realm of literature, Jeremiah Duffey (1819-1907) was an Irish writer and poet who published several volumes of poetry and prose, including "The Patriot's Harp" and "The Lays of the Heroic Age."

The Duffey surname can also be found in religious history, with Father James Duffey (1839-1909), an Irish-American Catholic priest who served as the Bishop of Richmond, Virginia, from 1903 until his death in 1909.

Finally, one cannot overlook the contributions of Mary Duffey (1884-1960), an Irish-American labor activist and leader of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. She played a crucial role in organizing garment workers and advocating for better working conditions and fair wages.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Duffey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Duffey surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 355 Duffeys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.86x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 355 2.86x
Yorkshire 156 1.50x
Durham 115 3.69x
Middlesex 69 0.66x
Cheshire 57 2.46x
Lanarkshire 47 1.39x
Northumberland 36 2.31x
Staffordshire 33 0.93x
Cumberland 30 3.33x
Shropshire 23 2.54x
Warwickshire 18 0.68x
Gloucestershire 15 0.73x
Renfrewshire 13 1.60x
Midlothian 12 0.86x
Hampshire 11 0.51x
Kent 11 0.31x
Dunbartonshire 7 2.49x
Ayrshire 6 0.77x
Channel Islands 6 1.93x
Essex 6 0.29x
Lincolnshire 6 0.36x
Surrey 5 0.10x
Dorset 4 0.58x
Nottinghamshire 4 0.28x
Stirlingshire 4 1.04x
Devon 3 0.14x
Kirkcudbrightshire 3 1.98x
Derbyshire 2 0.12x
Leicestershire 2 0.17x
Sussex 2 0.11x
Westmorland 2 0.87x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.10x
Bedfordshire 1 0.18x
Cornwall 1 0.08x
Denbighshire 1 0.25x
Flintshire 1 0.36x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.48x
Monmouthshire 1 0.13x
Northamptonshire 1 0.10x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.30x
Radnorshire 1 1.18x
Royal Navy 1 0.80x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 85 Duffeys recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.26x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 85 11.26x
Oldham 23 5.73x
Blackburn 21 6.35x
Widnes 20 22.30x
Darlington 19 15.79x
Govan 18 2.15x
Heworth 18 29.31x
Toxteth Park 18 4.28x
Nantwich 17 63.27x
Horton In Bradford 16 9.87x
Manchester 15 2.68x
Sheffield 15 4.54x
Birmingham 14 1.59x
Stockton On Tees 14 9.32x
Linthorpe 12 19.37x
Stoke Upon Trent 12 3.20x
Birkenhead 11 5.97x
Bishopwearmouth 11 4.11x
Bootle Cum Linacre 11 11.14x
Everton 11 2.78x
Islington London 11 1.08x
Ormskirk 11 46.24x
Barony 10 1.17x
Middlesbrough 10 7.40x
Newport 10 91.58x
Sutton 10 23.99x
Wellington 10 19.66x
Benfieldside 9 43.90x
Glasgow 9 1.50x
Saddleworth 9 11.24x
Salford 9 2.46x
West Derby 9 2.47x
Ashton In Makerfield 8 22.60x
Cleator 8 21.31x
Hulme 8 3.08x
Little Bolton 8 5.01x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 8 8.59x
Royton 8 21.04x
Runcorn 8 15.00x
St Marylebone London 8 1.43x
St Pancras London 8 0.95x
West Greenock 8 5.49x
Westgate 8 8.29x
York St George 8 97.80x
Bradford 7 2.79x
Bristol St George 7 7.37x
Escomb 7 48.88x
Longbenton 7 10.60x
Preston Quarter 7 27.69x
South Leith 7 4.43x
Spotland 7 5.06x
Whitwood 7 47.46x
Church Hulme 6 253.16x
Clerkenwell London 6 2.43x
Fulham London 6 3.95x
Holy Trinity 6 2.40x
Leeds 6 1.02x
Rotherham 6 10.25x
Seaham 6 52.82x
St Peter Port 6 10.45x
Westbury On Severn East 6 12.92x
Wolstanton 6 5.59x
Workington 6 11.62x
York St Mary 6 13.95x
Auckinleck 5 20.60x
Batley 5 5.07x
Bromley London 5 2.17x
Conside Knitsley 5 20.63x
Deptford St Paul 5 1.81x
Garston 5 13.63x
Great Bolton 5 3.04x
Great Grimsby 5 4.70x
Heaton Norris 5 7.07x
Southowram 5 15.78x
Wigan 5 2.88x
York Holy Trinity 5 55.74x
Accrington 4 3.54x
Barrow In Furness 4 2.37x
Bolehall Glascote 4 35.75x
Carisbrooke 4 13.42x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Duffey surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 114
Catherine 35
Margaret 28
Ann 24
Ellen 23
Bridget 20
Elizabeth 20
Annie 13
Jane 12
Sarah 12
Eliza 9
Hannah 8
Alice 6
Anne 6
Maria 6
Julia 5
Kate 5
Rose 5
Susan 5
Winifred 5
Caroline 4
Louisa 4
Margret 4
Agnes 3
Emily 3
Emma 3
Harriett 3
Johanna 3
Margt. 3
Martha 3
Ada 2
Cathrine 2
Elizth. 2
Harriet 2
Lucy 2
Rosa 2
Sophia 2
Susannah 2
Allice 1
Blanche 1
Bridgett 1
Bridgit 1
Delia 1
Edith 1
Eliz. 1
Ella 1
Isabella 1
Katerine 1
Kitty 1
Winnifred 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Duffey surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 108
James 72
Thomas 44
Michael 34
Patrick 34
William 21
Peter 19
Edward 14
Martin 11
Charles 9
Owen 9
Henry 8
Francis 7
Joseph 7
Andrew 5
Daniel 5
Thos. 5
George 4
Hugh 4
Wm. 4
Alfred 3
Barney 3
Bernard 3
Luke 3
Philip 3
Anthony 2
Barnard 2
Bartholomew 2
Dennis 2
Dominick 2
Jas. 2
Lawerance 2
Nicholas 2
Richard 2
Samuel 2
Tom 2
Willm. 2
Alexander 1
Benjamin 1
Ed. 1
Edwin 1
Elijah 1
Ernest 1
Farrell 1
Frances 1
Frank 1
Louis 1
Lous 1
Martain 1
Mary 1

FAQ

Duffey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Duffey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,068 people were recorded with the Duffey surname. That placed it at #3,700 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Duffey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 388 in 2016. That gives Duffey a modern rank of #12,133.

What does the Duffey surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Dubhthaigh," meaning "descendant of Dubhthach," a personal name meaning "dark."

What does the Duffey map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Duffey bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.