Duty
An English surname that may have begun as a nickname or status name connected with duty, service, or obligation, though its exact origin is uncertain.
The #7,138 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 65,901 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname Duty is not well established in the historical dictionaries excerpted here, and the name is not explained in a dedicated entry. By form, it could have arisen from the common English noun duty, used as a nickname or label for someone associated with obligation, service, or regular attendance. It is also possible that it reflects a later spelling or alteration of another surname rather than a direct formation from the word itself.
History
The provided 19th-century sources only mention Duty in passing and do not give a firm derivation. Because of that, the surname’s early history remains unclear in these excerpts. Modern bearers are found chiefly in the United States, where the name is uncommon but established.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In the surname literature, Duty turns up more often as a comparison example than as a fully explained entry, which is itself a sign that the name was relatively uncommon in older reference works.
From the historical record
“Berwick.— Loc»], ' of Berwick- „n-Tweed.' But v, Barwick, and cf. Derby and Duty, or Cerke and Clarke, or Perkins and Parkins. Williani de Berwvk, attUi; iS Edw. [: Freemen of York, 1.11- „ _”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with special American instances