Ancient history

Where does the name Duddy come from?

Duddy is a surname of English and Irish origin. In most cases it is derived from a pet form of the personal name Dudley. The name Dudley itself is derived from an Old English personal name which meant 'people's meadow' or 'Duda's meadow', from the Old English elements 'dūd' ('people', 'nation') or 'Dudda' (a common name short for a compound name beginning with the Anglo-Saxon word for 'dear', 'beloved') + 'lēah' ('meadow', 'wood'). However, the name may also be of Irish origin, and is an Anglicised form of the Gaelic surname Ó Dufaigh. This name in turn is derived from the Gaelic word 'dubhach', which means 'dark' or 'swarthy'.