2000
#15,790
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,694
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.63
Rare Last name
Duffie
A Scottish surname derived from a place name containing the Gaelic element dubh meaning "dark" or "black".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,217 Americans carry the last name Duffie. That puts it at #14,748 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.65 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 154,603 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Duffie surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Duffie with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.2K
1 in 154,603
Census rank
#14,748
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,933 bearers of the surname Duffie in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.65 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14748th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Duffie, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.1%. The next largest groups are Black (39.6%) and Hispanic (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Duffie
The surname Duffie originated in Scotland, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Gaelic word "dubh," meaning "dark" or "black," and is likely to have been a nickname for someone with dark hair or a dark complexion.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which list those who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name appears as "Duffie" in this document, suggesting that the spelling had already been established by that time.
In the 14th century, the name Duffie appeared in various historical records, such as the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, where it was often associated with individuals from the counties of Fife and Angus. The name may have originated in one of these regions, although it later spread throughout Scotland.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Duffie surname was found in various parts of Scotland, including Edinburgh and the surrounding areas. One notable individual from this period was John Duffie (1555-1622), a merchant and burgess of Edinburgh who was involved in trade with the Netherlands.
In the 18th century, the Duffie surname became more widespread across Scotland, with records indicating families in regions such as Aberdeenshire and the Highlands. One notable figure from this time was James Duffie (1745-1819), a Scottish soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War and later settled in Nova Scotia, Canada.
Another prominent individual with the surname Duffie was Robert Duffie (1823-1898), a Scottish-born American businessman and philanthropist who made his fortune in the textile industry. He was known for his support of various educational and charitable causes in his later years.
Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, individuals with the Duffie surname continued to be found across Scotland, as well as in other parts of the United Kingdom and in countries like the United States and Canada, where Scottish immigrants had settled.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Duffie
Among Census respondents with the surname Duffie, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.1%. The next largest groups are Black (39.6%) and Hispanic (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Duffie bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Duffie surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White52.1% · 1,008
- Black or African American39.6% · 765
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 76
- Two or more races3.8% · 73
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Duffie
Duffie appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#15,959
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,820
+126 bearers (+7.4%)
Per 100,000 0.62
Rank movement Down 169 places
2020
#14,748
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,933
+113 bearers (+6.2%)
Per 100,000 0.65
Rank movement Up 1,211 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #15,790 | 1,694 | 0.63 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,959 | 1,820 | 0.62 | +126 bearers (+7.4%) | Down 169 places |
| 2020 | #14,748 | 1,933 | 0.65 | +113 bearers (+6.2%) | Up 1,211 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Duffie surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #15,959 | #14,748 | 7.6% |
| Count | 1,820 | 1,933 | 6.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.62 | 0.65 | 4.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Duffie bearers went from 1,820 to 1,933 (+6.2% change). The surname moved up 1,211 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,959 to #14,748.
FAQ
Duffie surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Duffie?
Name Census estimates that about 2,217 living Americans carry the surname Duffie. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 154,603 residents.
How common is Duffie?
Duffie ranks #14,748 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.65 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,933 people with the surname Duffie. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,217), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.65 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.65 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Duffie.
Has Duffie become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Duffie went from 1,820 recorded bearers to 1,933. That is an increase of 113 (+6.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,959 to #14,748.
What does the Census say about the background of Duffie?
Among Census respondents with the surname Duffie, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.1%. The next largest groups are Black (39.6%) and Hispanic (3.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Duffie in the 2020 Census, accounting for 52.1% (1,008 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Duffie appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (52.1%), Black (39.6%), Hispanic (3.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Duffie (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Duffie mean?
A Scottish surname derived from a place name containing the Gaelic element dubh meaning "dark" or "black". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Duffie (0.65 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Duffie?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Duffie on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.