Find out how popular the last name Cuff is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Cuff.

Cuff, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Cuff surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cuff in America

Cuff is the 10598th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cuff surname appeared 3,022 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Cuff.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cuff to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Cuff

The surname Cuff is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "cuffe" or "cyffe," which means a fist or a handcuff. It is believed to have originated in the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century.

The name Cuff was initially used as a descriptive surname, referring to a person's physical characteristic or occupation. It was likely given to someone with a strong, clenched fist or potentially to a maker or seller of handcuffs or similar restraints.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cuff can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Berkshire from 1195, where a person named Hugh Cuff is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 12th century.

In the 13th century, the name appears in various historical records, such as the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire from 1279, which mention a Thomas Cuff. The Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1296 also list a John Cuff.

A notable early bearer of the surname Cuff was William Cuff, a member of the Parliament of England who represented the borough of Southwark in 1381. He played a role during the Peasants' Revolt of that year.

Another significant figure was Sir John Cuff, a prominent English merchant and politician who lived from 1579 to 1629. He served as the Sheriff of London in 1617 and was knighted by King James I in 1619.

In the 17th century, the name Cuff appeared in various place names, such as Cuff's Corner in Gloucestershire and Cuff's Green in Kent, indicating the presence of families bearing this surname in those areas.

A notable bearer of the name in the 18th century was Maurice Cuff, an Irish politician who served as the Member of Parliament for Kilkenny City from 1761 to 1768.

In the 19th century, one of the most prominent individuals with the surname Cuff was Archibald Cuff, a fictional detective character created by Wilkie Collins in his 1868 novel "The Moonstone." Cuff was one of the earliest examples of a professional detective in English literature.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cuff

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Cuff.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Cuff was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Cuff has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Cuff was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Cuff, please contact us.

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