An Irish surname, Duffy comes from the Gaelic term ‘dubhthach’ which referred to a dark one, with ‘dubh‘ meaning black. The spelling variations for Duffy include Duffie, D’Duffie, Duff, Doey, O’Dowey, O’Duffy, O’Duhig, MacDuffie, McFee and McPhee. In Ireland the Duffy family name originated in the Connacht area which is in the western region. and is dominant in most provinces of the country. After the 1840s many Duffy families resettled in Australia, the United States and Canada. In northern England is where most with the Duffy family name live. The counties of Lancashire, Yorkshire and Durham have many citizens with the Duffy name. In Scotland the Duffy family name covers most of the country. The counties with the higher populations include Lanarkshire and Midlothian. Within the United States the Duffy surname originated in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Maine. Famous: Gabriel Patrick Duffy (nonfiction writer from Ireland), Ron Duffy (professional rugby player from New Zealand), Julia Duffy (television actress), Aimee Anne Duffy (singer from Wales), Carol Ann Duffy (poet Laureate for the UK), Brian Duffy (astronaut), Chris Duffy (professional baseball player), Billy Duffy (musician and songwriter from England), Kirsty Duffy (English actress), Jo Duffy (comic book writer), Richard Duffy (professional footballer from Wales), Patrick Duffy (actor) and Martin Duffy (filmmaker and writer from Ireland).