NameCensus.

UK surname

Duffy

Derived from the Irish Ó Dubhthaigh, meaning "descendant of Dubhthach," a personal name composed of the elements dubh, meaning "black," and tach, meaning "peace."

In the 1881 census there were 6,593 people recorded with the Duffy surname, ranking it #645 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 19,743, ranked #302, up from #645 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Gateshead and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Central Easterhouse, Gorbals and Hutchesontown and Stane.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Duffy is 20,069 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 199.5%.

1881 census count

6,593

Ranked #645

Modern count

19,743

2016, ranked #302

Peak year

2010

20,069 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Duffy had 6,593 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #645 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 19,743 in 2016, ranked #302.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 8,151 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Duffy surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Duffy surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Duffy 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 2,771 #1,057
1861 historical 3,472 #817
1881 historical 6,593 #645
1891 historical 6,572 #694
1901 historical 8,151 #659
1911 historical 6,162 #839
1997 modern 18,060 #324
1998 modern 18,668 #323
1999 modern 18,896 #324
2000 modern 18,809 #322
2001 modern 18,343 #323
2002 modern 18,758 #323
2003 modern 18,323 #322
2004 modern 18,362 #319
2005 modern 18,344 #316
2006 modern 18,522 #307
2007 modern 18,716 #306
2008 modern 18,924 #305
2009 modern 19,451 #305
2010 modern 20,069 #303
2011 modern 19,705 #303
2012 modern 19,196 #302
2013 modern 19,647 #303
2014 modern 19,900 #303
2015 modern 19,700 #303
2016 modern 19,743 #302

Geography

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Where Duffys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Gateshead, Edinburgh, Manchester and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Central Easterhouse, Gorbals and Hutchesontown, Stane, Braidfauld and Possil Park. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Gateshead Durham
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Central Easterhouse Glasgow City
2 Gorbals and Hutchesontown Glasgow City
3 Stane North Lanarkshire
4 Braidfauld Glasgow City
5 Possil Park Glasgow City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Duffy

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Duffy

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Duffy, 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

Established but Challenged

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Duffy is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Duffy 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

Duffy falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Duffy is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Duffy

The surname Duffy originated from Ireland and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Irish Gaelic name 'Ó Dubhthaigh', which means 'descendant of Dubhthach', a personal name meaning 'black' or 'swarthy'.

The Duffy surname was primarily found in the counties of Monaghan, Cavan, and Leitrim in the northern part of Ireland. It is believed that the name originated in the territory of Bréifne, which was ruled by the Uí Briúin dynasty.

In the Annals of Ulster, a historical record of medieval Irish events, there are several references to individuals with the name Dubhthaigh or Duffy. For example, in the year 1197, the death of Gilla Criost Ua Dubhthaigh, a notable cleric, is recorded.

One of the earliest known examples of the Duffy surname is found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, which mentions Maolmordha Ua Dubhthaigh, who died in 1022.

The Duffy name is also linked to several place names in Ireland, such as Duffy's Cross in County Cavan and Duffy's Hill in County Monaghan.

Notable individuals with the Duffy surname include:

1. Sir Charles Gavan Duffy (1816-1903), an Irish politician and author who played a significant role in the Young Ireland movement. 2. William Duffy (1842-1912), an Irish-American politician and businessman who served as the 28th Mayor of Chicago from 1893 to 1895. 3. James Duffy (1888-1969), an Irish-born American prelate who served as the Bishop of Grand Island from 1948 to 1959. 4. Brian Duffy (1933-2010), an English painter and photographer known for his iconic portraits of celebrities in the 1960s and 1970s. 5. Maureen Duffy (born 1933), an English poet, novelist, and playwright, best known for her novel "The Microcosm" and her involvement in the feminist movement.

The Duffy surname has a rich history rooted in Ireland, with references dating back to the 12th century and spanning various historical records, notable individuals, and place names.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Duffy families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Duffy 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 1,928 Duffys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.55x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 1,928 2.55x
Lanarkshire 991 4.80x
Yorkshire 651 1.03x
Durham 586 3.09x
Midlothian 294 3.44x
Angus 190 3.21x
Renfrewshire 187 3.78x
Middlesex 183 0.29x
Northumberland 172 1.81x
Cheshire 136 0.97x
Cumberland 130 2.37x
Staffordshire 112 0.52x
Stirlingshire 90 3.82x
Surrey 81 0.26x
Dunbartonshire 72 4.20x
Ayrshire 71 1.49x
Worcestershire 58 0.70x
Hampshire 44 0.34x
Perthshire 42 1.47x
Kent 41 0.19x
Warwickshire 41 0.25x
Gloucestershire 35 0.28x
West Lothian 32 3.33x
Derbyshire 31 0.31x
Denbighshire 25 1.04x
Peeblesshire 24 8.00x
Nottinghamshire 22 0.26x
Devon 18 0.14x
Flintshire 18 1.05x
East Lothian 17 2.01x
Selkirkshire 16 2.77x
Fife 14 0.37x
Norfolk 13 0.13x
Wigtownshire 13 1.53x
Cambridgeshire 12 0.30x
Caernarfonshire 11 0.43x
Shropshire 11 0.20x
Dumfriesshire 10 0.71x
Lincolnshire 10 0.10x
Somerset 9 0.09x
Essex 8 0.06x
Dorset 7 0.17x
Northamptonshire 7 0.12x
Oxfordshire 7 0.18x
Royal Navy 7 0.92x
Berwickshire 6 0.78x
Glamorgan 6 0.05x
Sussex 5 0.05x
Westmorland 5 0.36x
Aberdeenshire 4 0.07x
Argyllshire 4 0.23x
Hertfordshire 3 0.07x
Leicestershire 3 0.04x
Anglesey 2 0.18x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.05x
Buteshire 2 0.52x
Cornwall 2 0.03x
Isle of Man 2 0.17x
Kincardineshire 2 0.26x
Kirkcudbrightshire 2 0.22x
Pembrokeshire 2 0.10x
Suffolk 2 0.03x
Wiltshire 2 0.04x
Berkshire 1 0.02x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.04x
Channel Islands 1 0.05x
Herefordshire 1 0.04x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.08x
Inverness-shire 1 0.05x
Monmouthshire 1 0.02x
Roxburghshire 1 0.09x

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 358 Duffys recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.79x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 358 7.79x
Glasgow 244 6.66x
Barony 191 3.66x
Govan 163 3.19x
Manchester 139 4.08x
Leeds 127 3.56x
Dundee 107 4.85x
Toxteth Park 93 3.63x
Gateshead 78 5.49x
Bishopwearmouth 70 4.30x
Bradford 69 4.51x
Kirkdale 66 5.18x
Everton 57 2.36x
Wigan 57 5.39x
Maryhill 55 13.62x
Blackburn 53 2.63x
Rutherglen 53 17.51x
Liff Benvie 52 5.79x
Edinburgh Canongate 51 23.44x
Widnes 51 9.34x
Bothwell 49 8.76x
Oldham 48 1.96x
Salford 48 2.16x
Stockton On Tees 48 5.25x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 47 1.37x
Falkirk 47 8.53x
Sheffield 46 2.29x
West Derby 45 2.03x
Preston 44 2.17x
Old Monkland 41 5.01x
Chorlton On Medlock 39 3.24x
Great Bolton 39 3.89x
Westoe 39 3.62x
Gorton 38 5.34x
Bootle Cum Linacre 37 6.15x
Cleator 37 16.18x
St Marylebone London 36 1.06x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 35 4.26x
Halifax 34 3.66x
Aspull 32 17.97x
Barrow In Furness 32 3.11x
West Greenock 32 3.61x
Batley 30 4.99x
South Leith 30 3.12x
Abbey 29 3.84x
Bishop Auckland 29 11.39x
North Shields 29 15.31x
Wardleworth 29 6.70x
Ashton Under Lyne 28 1.69x
Hulme 28 1.77x
Middlesbrough 28 3.40x
Castleton 27 3.57x
West Calder 27 16.03x
Blantyre 26 12.10x
Elswick 26 3.43x
Stoke Upon Trent 26 1.14x
Wakefield 26 5.36x
Birkenhead 24 2.14x
Birmingham 24 0.45x
Innerleithen 24 30.13x
Neilston 24 9.67x
Burnley 23 3.61x
Hamilton 23 4.00x
Edinburgh New North 22 29.57x
Kilmarnock 22 3.87x
Little Bolton 22 2.26x
Longbenton 22 5.47x
Linthorpe 21 5.57x
Darlington 19 2.59x
Islington London 19 0.31x
North Meols 19 2.56x
Pershore Holy Cross 19 35.58x
Stockport 19 2.62x
Crossgate 18 21.69x
Dumbarton 18 7.54x
Keighley 18 2.67x
Lambeth 18 0.32x
Whalley 18 16.31x
Oswaldtwistle 17 6.35x
Parr 17 6.28x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 509
Margaret 156
Catherine 154
Bridget 124
Ellen 115
Ann 114
Elizabeth 114
Sarah 81
Annie 59
Jane 53
Kate 36
Rose 30
Alice 27
Eliza 23
Agnes 21
Maria 20
Anne 18
Hannah 18
Isabella 16
Julia 15
Louisa 15
Emma 14
Martha 14
Cathrine 11
Emily 11
Florence 11
Frances 10
Susan 10
Elizth. 9
Harriet 9
Winifred 9
Esther 8
Catharine 7
Charlotte 7
Clara 7
Margret 7
Margt. 7
May 7
Teresa 7
Eleanor 6
Harriett 6
Matilda 6
Ada 5
Bridgett 5
Fanny 5
Katherine 5
Maggie 5
Helena 4
Henrietta 4
Christina 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 423
James 276
Thomas 222
Patrick 204
Michael 150
William 114
Edward 76
Peter 73
Martin 57
Henry 46
Charles 44
George 42
Joseph 42
Bernard 30
Francis 28
Owen 28
Robert 21
Hugh 20
Thos. 18
Andrew 17
Richard 16
Arthur 13
Matthew 13
Anthony 12
Phillip 12
Daniel 11
Philip 11
Alfred 9
Frederick 9
Lawrence 9
Mathew 8
Albert 7
David 7
Samuel 7
Christopher 6
Harry 6
Laurence 6
Pat 6
Frank 5
Herbert 5
Jas. 5
Patk. 5
Walter 5
Wm. 5
Ernest 4
Felix 4
Luke 4
Matthias 4
Stephen 4
Terence 4

FAQ

Duffy surname: questions and answers

How common was the Duffy surname in 1881?

In 1881, 6,593 people were recorded with the Duffy surname. That placed it at #645 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Duffy surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 19,743 in 2016. That gives Duffy a modern rank of #302.

What does the Duffy surname mean?

Derived from the Irish Ó Dubhthaigh, meaning "descendant of Dubhthach," a personal name composed of the elements dubh, meaning "black," and tach, meaning "peace."

What does the Duffy map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Duffy 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.