duffy

D2U1F4F4Y4
/ˈdʌfi/

proper noun

A surname from Irish, an anglicization of Ó Dubhthaigh (“descendant of Dubhthach”). Dubhthach is a byname derived from dubh (“black”).

Less commonScrabble 15
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Meanings

duffy1

nounduffy (plural duffies)

plural duffies

  1. archaicArchaic form of duppy (“Caribbean ghost or spirit”).

Duffy2

proper nounDuffy (countable and uncountable, plural Duffys)

plural Duffys · alternative O'Duffy · alternative Duffey · alternative Duhy · alternative Duhig · alternative Dowey · alternative Douey · alternative Dooey · alternative Doey

  1. countableuncountableA surname from Irish, an anglicization of Ó Dubhthaigh (“descendant of Dubhthach”). Dubhthach is a byname derived from dubh (“black”).

    More than 7,000 commercial truck drivers have been placed out of service this year for failing to meet federal English Language Proficiency (ELP) standards, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced Thursday on X (formerly Twitter).

    2025 October 30, Noi Mahoney, “More than 7,000 truckers reportedly sidelined for English proficiency violations”, in Freight Waves
  2. countableuncountableA surname from Irish, an anglicization of Ó Doithe.
  3. countableuncountableA Scottish surname from Scottish Gaelic [in turn originating as a patronymic], an alternate anglicization of Mac Dhuibhshíthe (McPhee).
  4. countableuncountableA suburb of Canberra, Australia; named for Charles Gavan Duffy, 8th Premier of Victoria.
  5. countableuncountableAn unincorporated community in Ohio Township, Monroe County, Ohio, United States.
  6. countableuncountableAn unincorporated community in Lewis County, West Virginia, United States.

Origin

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.

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with duffy

buffypuffystuffyscruffyhuffyMuffyroughyMcGuffeysnuffytoughiecuffeegruffyscuffywhuffie
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

duffy. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/duffy

MLA

“duffy.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/duffy. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “duffy,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/duffy.

Source: duffy on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.