*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of Duffy

From the Irish surname, from Ó Dubhthaigh (literally “descendant of Dubhthach”) and Mac Duibhshíthe (literally “son of Duibhshíth”), from dubh (“black”) + sìth (“peace”), comparable to the surname Duff.

1 source sectionExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 1 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Unnumbered source etymology

Original entry ↗
name

A surname from Irish, an anglicization of Ó Dubhthaigh (“descendant of Dubhthach”). Dubhthach is a byname derived from dubh (“black”). · A surname from Irish, an anglicization of Ó Doithe. · A Scottish surname from Scottish Gaelic [in turn originating as a patronymic], an alternate anglicization of Mac Dhuibhshíthe (McPhee). · A suburb of Canberra, Australia; named for Charles Gavan Duffy, 8th Premier of Victoria.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From the Irish surname, from Ó Dubhthaigh (literally “descendant of Dubhthach”) and Mac Duibhshíthe (literally “son of Duibhshíth”), from dubh (“black”) + sìth (“peace”), comparable to the surname Duff.

This page abbreviates 2 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ga",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Irish"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "Ó Dubhthaigh",
      "Ó Dubhthaigh#Irish"
    ],
    [
      "Mac Duibhshíthe",
      "Mac Duibhshíthe#Irish"
    ],
    [
      "dubh",
      "dubh#Irish"
    ],
    [
      "sìth",
      "sìth#Irish"
    ],
    [
      "Duff",
      "Duff#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "name",
      "glosses": [
        "A surname from Irish, an anglicization of Ó Dubhthaigh (“descendant of Dubhthach”). Dubhthach is a byname derived from dubh (“black”).",
        "A surname from Irish, an anglicization of Ó Doithe.",
        "A Scottish surname from Scottish Gaelic [in turn originating as a patronymic], an alternate anglicization of Mac Dhuibhshíthe (McPhee).",
        "A suburb of Canberra, Australia; named for Charles Gavan Duffy, 8th Premier of Victoria."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "recordId": "dca5ea3d8678eb6ae818ca6e24adc31e1e38c375a8680283bf1e38087d418738",
      "rawRecordSha256": "37a7876feab3d54d175fe39f0d0eedd57686f483669fc38c32d05d09a9f57cbe",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 4307644
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 2,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for Duffy →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-RHVmZnk