Meaning and background
The story behind Duff
Duff is an Irish and Scottish family name related to Gaelic dubh, 'dark' or 'black'. Historical family-name routes include personal nicknames and expressions of descent, rather than one simple English translation. In modern English Duff also appears in unrelated colloquial vocabulary, but that is not the documented origin of the surname. The name has a firm one-syllable sound for a dog; a dog's coat colour cannot be assumed from a Gaelic surname etymology.
- Origin
- Irish and Scottish surname family associated with Gaelic dubh, “dark, black”; several descent forms Source
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About Duff
Recorded as a dog’s name
Duff appears in 6 dog licence records in the 2022 New York City dataset.
How to read this count
These records cover New York City and may count the same dog in more than one licence period. They are not a national popularity ranking.
Pronunciation and rhythm
/dʌf/
US English sound sequence, converted from the CMU dictionary. Stress marks are shown separately.
Stress on the first syllable in the recorded US readings.
View dictionary notation
/dʌf/ · primary stress on syllable 1D AH1 F
These are US dictionary readings. Personal, regional and other language pronunciations may differ.
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Sources and research notes (3)
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene NYC Dog Licensing Dataset — all seven available extract years, retrieved 24 October 2026 — Recorded name spellings in NYC licence-period rows, extract years 2016–2018, 2022–2024 and 2026. Evidence selects one stated year per name. Annual snapshots overlap; never sum them as unique dogs. No national popularity, etymology or owner naming-intent claim.
- Carnegie Mellon University / CMU Sphinx maintainers CMU US English Pronouncing Dictionary — US English dictionary readings; not owner-specific or exhaustive multilingual pronunciation
- City of Seattle Seattle Pet Licenses — DOG-only name aggregate, current source dated 6 October 2026 — Secondary spelling corroboration from dog-only licence rows. No cats, owner fields, national ranking or unique-dog claim.
References support the individual facts shown. A source link does not mean the entire profile has been verified.