Meaning and background
The story behind Mcduff
McDuff is Scottish and northern Irish in surname records and derives from Gaelic Mac Duibh, “son of Dubh”. Dubh was a personal name or byname associated with dark colouring, particularly hair, in its historical context. Unlike similar-looking McDuffie, McDuff does not come from the longer Mac Duibhshíthe form. That difference is worth keeping clear even in a catalogue of dog names borrowed from surnames.
- Origin
- Scottish and northern Irish surname from Gaelic Mac Duibh, a patronymic based on the older personal name or byname Dubh. Source
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About Mcduff
Recorded as a dog’s name
Mcduff 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
/məkdʌf/
US English sound sequence, converted from the CMU dictionary. Stress marks are shown separately.
Stress on the second syllable in the recorded US readings.
View dictionary notation
/məkdʌf/ · primary stress on syllable 2M AH0 K D AH1 F
These are US dictionary readings. Personal, regional and other language pronunciations may differ.
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Sources and research notes (2)
- 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
References support the individual facts shown. A source link does not mean the entire profile has been verified.