Surname McDuffee - Meaning and Origin

McDuffee: What does the surname McDuffee mean?

The surname McDuffee is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic name "Mac Dhubhshith" which is a combination of the elements "Mac" meaning "son of", "dubh" translating to black or dark, and "shith" meaning peace. So, the full meaning of the name is "son of the dark man of peace". Given their origin, this typically refers to someone who is a descendant of Dubhshith. The name is most commonly found in Scotland, although descendants have spread throughout the world. Over time, this name has been spelled in multiple ways such as McDuffie, MacDuffie, and even MacPhee. As with many surnames, the specific meaning may not apply to all bearers of the name today, since names often became attached to families through marriage, adoption, or other non-biological means. As with other clan-based or patronymic surnames, it connects the descendants with a larger tradition of lineage and ancestry.

McDuffee: Where does the name McDuffee come from?

The surname McDuffee originates from Scotland. It is a derivative of the Gaelic name "Mac Dhuibhshíthe", which means "son of Dubhshíth". This name is a compound of two elements: "Dubh" means black and "síth" means peace. The MacDuffie clan, from which the McDuffee name comes, originally held their territories in Colonsay, an island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland.

The surname McDuffee spread to other regions, such as Ireland, during the course of history due to emigrations especially during the era of the Highland Clearances in the 18th and 19th centuries when landlords forced Scottish highlanders to vacate their homes. From there, multiple generations of McDuffees moved to other parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Australia.

Today, the surname McDuffee is most common in the United States. It can be found primarily scattered throughout the northeastern regions, but with notable populations in other parts of the country. However, despite its widespread placement, McDuffee remains a relatively rare surname.

Variations of the surname McDuffee

The surname McDuffee is of Irish origin and it is a variant of the surname Duff. In Irish, the surname is ó Duibh, which literally means 'dark' or 'black'. It was commonly anglicized to Duff, McDuff, Duffy, MacDuffie and Duffie.

McDuffie itself has several variants. It can also be spelled as MacDuffie, McDuffey, McDuffe, Mcdufy, Mcduffy, and Mcduffee. Each of these different spellings may have occurred because of a mistake made by the person recording the name at the time of immigration, because of different dialects or idiosyncrasies in speech, or because a family decided to adapt the spelling to better fit their new cultural surroundings after immigration.

There is a possibility of variation within the same family as well. For instance, one branch of the family might choose to keep the surname as McDuffee, while another might choose to change it to Mcduffy or Mcduffee. These variations can occur within the same generation or across different generations.

Further, the prefix 'Mc' or 'Mac' originally meant 'son of', indicating that the name bearer is the son of Duff. So the last name could also be just Duff, without the prefix.

Famous people with the name McDuffee

• Scott McDuffee: an American actor most known for his role in the film "The New Rising Sun" (2009)
• Corbin McDuffee: an American actor who has starred in projects such as "Run the Race" (2018) and "The Affair" (2015).
• Kelly McDuffee: an American soccer player who plays for the Houston Dash in the NWSL.
• Sarah McDuffee: an American professional downhill mountain biker who is currently ranked first in the US and 7th in the world.
• Kim McDuffee: an American former basketball player who led the University of Connecticut to its first three NCAA Tournament appearances, and two Elite Eight runs.
• Austin McDuffee: a professional American racecar driver currently competing in the ARCA Menards Series.
• Kelsey McDuffee: a seven-time Ladies Professional Golf Association winner
• Jim McDuffee: an American Grammy-nominated drummer and producer whose credits include being the drummer for the inspirational rock bands Tree 63 and Anointed.
• Dan McDuffee: an American author who has published works such as "Steal My Joy" and "Celebrate the Self"
• Rolin McDuffee: a film actor, best known for his roles in films such as "Crazy Girls Undercover" (2006) and "Gothic Assassins" (2005).

Other surnames

McDuffMcDuffeMcDuffieMcDuffy