Surname Killduff - Meaning and Origin
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Killduff: What does the surname Killduff mean?
The surname Killduff is an anglicised version of the Gaelic surname Ó Cill Dobhaigh, deriving from the Irish words ‘cill’ (meaning ‘church’) and ‘dobhaigh’ (meaning ‘black’). The name’s origin can be traced back to the 9th century and the region of County Monaghan, Ireland, where it was most commonly found.
The prefix ‘Ó’ denotes a grandson or descendent, so the surname translates to ‘grandson of the black church’ likely referring to a place of worship of some kind, for example a building, stone or shrine. In pre-Christian Ireland, Christians would paint their sacred places black, however it is unknown what kind of church the Killduff family of Monaghan were associated with.
The surname is not common these days, however prior to the 1800s it was found widely throughout Ireland, the peak being in the late 1700s. Surnames were usually adopted following a migration, so this could indicate that the Killduff were a travelling family who went on to settle elsewhere. The majority of those known to bear the Killduff surname today are based in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
Despite its rarity, the Killduff surname is a piece of unique Irish history and a reminder of the strong religious roots of the Emerald Isle.
Order DNA origin analysisKillduff: Where does the name Killduff come from?
The surname Killduff is most commonly found in the United States. It originated in Ireland, but the earliest recorded instances in the United States are from the late 1800s. There is a small cluster of Killduffs in Iowa, a few more in Wisconsin, and a handful in other states such as Massachusetts, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Kansas. As of 2020, the largest concentration of Killduffs is in California.
A broad population search of the surname Killduff displays a lot of people scattered throughout the United States. In California, the Killduffs mostly reside in the cities of San Francisco, Sacramento, and Oakland. The surname is also found in other US states like New York, Arizona, and Texas.
Killduffs who immigrated to the United States are likely mostly descended from two Killduff brothers: James Killduff and Demerius Killduff, who emigrated to the United States from Ireland in the late 1800s. Descendants of these brothers can mostly be traced through the use of family history and genealogy research.
The Killduffs are a proud family to this day. The Killduff name appears among veterans of foreign wars, law enforcers, and notable athletes. Despite being historically Irish and dispersed throughout the United States, the Killduffs continue to share a strong sense of Irish ancestry and tradition.
Variations of the surname Killduff
The surname Killduff is an anglicized form of at least four distinct Irish surnames; Mac Giolla Dhubháin, O'Dubhain, Mac Giolla Mhuire and O'Calladuff. All of these variants and spellings refer to the same sept, Uí Dhubháin, which originated in the Irish province of Connacht.
In modern times, the most commonly encountered forms of the surname include Killduff, MacGillduff, Kilduff, McGilduff, MacGildoof, and Gilldufff. Other variants can include Killduffe, MacGilldaff, Gilduff, MacGillduff, MacGilldaugh, McGildof, Gilduffe, Gillduff, and MacGildough.
The Mac Giolla Dhubháin form of the surname is particularly popular due to its more accurate representation of the original clan’s Irish name; it derives from the Irish terms ‘Mac’ meaning ‘son of’, ‘giolla’ meaning ‘servant’, and ‘dhubháin’ meaning ‘black-haired one.’
The O'Dubhain spelling is an older variant which has occasionally been encountered in records; it comes from the Irish 'O' meaning 'descendent of', and 'Dubhain', which has the same meaning as the second element of the Mac Giolla Dhubháin version.
The final two forms of Killduff originate from similar clan names; Mac Giolla Mhuire and O'Calladuff both originate from the Irish ‘Calladuff’ which translates as ‘strong-person’. The first of these two is structured in the same way as Mac Giolla Dhubhain, whilst the other, O'Calladuff, is constructed from the Irish ‘O’ prefix and the ‘Calladuff’ second element.
Famous people with the name Killduff
- Joe Killduff: former professional baseball player.
- Chris Killduff: President at Home Point Financial Corporation.
- Caleb Killduff: award-winning singer and songwriter.
- Mike Killduff: former Major League Baseball (MLB) player.
- Rob Killduff: former MLB pitcher.
- Andrew Killduff: executive producer and founder of film and video production Nowhere Studios.
- Robert Killduff: former theatre actor and director.
- James Killduff: renouned prize-winning artist and sculptor.
- William Killduff: Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist.
- Steven Killduff: television producer and show runner.
- Gary Killduff: professional adventurer and explorer.
- Will Killduff: Grammy Award winning music producer.
- David Killduff: former NFL offensive tackle.
- Sarah Killduff: prominent civil rights lawyer.
- Alan Killduff: award-winning business professor.