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

Duodu, 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 Duodu surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Duodu in America

Duodu is the 144141st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Duodu surname appeared 115 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Duodu.

The history of the last name Duodu

The surname DUODU originates from Ghana, specifically from the Akan people of West Africa. The name is believed to have derived from the Akan words "duo" meaning "tree" and "du" meaning "life" or "living." Thus, DUODU can be interpreted as "tree of life" or "living tree."

The earliest recorded instances of the name DUODU can be traced back to the 17th century when the Akan people inhabited the present-day regions of Ghana, Ivory Coast, and Togo. During this time, the name was often spelled in various ways, such as Duoduo, Duoadu, or Duadu, reflecting the phonetic variations in the Akan language.

In the 18th century, the name DUODU appeared in several historical records, including the journals of European explorers and traders who visited the Gold Coast region (now Ghana). One notable example is the account of Dutch merchant, Willem Bosman, who mentioned interactions with individuals bearing the surname DUODU in his book "A New and Accurate Description of the Coast of Guinea" published in 1705.

Notable individuals with the surname DUODU throughout history include:

1. Nana Kwaku Duodu (1892-1976), a prominent Ghanaian politician and traditional leader who served as the Omanhene (Paramount Chief) of Akuapem traditional area.

2. Joseph Ephraim Casely-Hayford (1866-1930), a Ghanaian writer, educator, and political activist, whose mother's maiden name was DUODU.

3. Kobina Sekyi (1892-1956), a renowned Ghanaian lawyer, writer, and judge, whose paternal grandmother's maiden name was DUODU.

4. Ebenezer Ako-Adjei (1916-2002), a Ghanaian political figure and diplomat who held various ministerial positions, and whose mother's maiden name was DUODU.

5. Theodora Salome Okoh (1922-2019), a Ghanaian playwright, novelist, and educator, whose maternal grandmother's maiden name was DUODU.

The surname DUODU has also been associated with several place names in Ghana, particularly in the Eastern and Greater Accra regions, where the Akan people have historically resided. For instance, the town of Duodu in the Akuapem North Municipal District is believed to have derived its name from the DUODU surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Duodu

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

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 Duodu 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.

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 Duodu was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!