The Scottish and Irish surname McDuffy is an anglicized form of the Gaelic name Mac Duibh, a patronymic from the personal name Dubh meaning “black, or dark.” Thus the name means “ The son of the dark-haired one.” The first recording may be that of Malisius Mc Duf, seneschal of Stratherne in 1264, with Neil M'Duffy being recorded in Arane in 1460. In Ireland the name is found in the western province of Connaught where it was introduced by Scottish settlers in the 14t Century. The first reference to the name in the New World is Andrew McDuff who arrived in New York in 1812. Today there are approximately 1,200 bearers of the name McDuffy in the United States.