Gaff

Gaff Meaning & Origin

About Gaff
The surname Gaff is of Irish origin and is derived from the Gaelic word "gaf" meaning "a spear." It is believed to have originated as a nickname for someone who was skilled in using a spear or had a spear-like appearance. The name Gaff may also have been used to denote someone who lived near a place associated with spears, such as a spear-making workshop or a defensive structure. Over time, the surname Gaff has evolved and spread beyond Ireland, becoming a relatively uncommon surname found in various parts of the world.

🌍 Origin
📏 Surname Length
💬 Number of Syllables
🔠 Starting Letter
Discover Your Ancestry with 23andMe Logo

Discover Your Ancestry with 23andMe

Explore your ancestry and health insights with exclusive savings.

Save 15%-60% this holiday season

Popularity

Surname Popularity by Ethnicity

The surname Gaff is a unique entry in our records. Discover more about its distribution and characteristics:

  • Number of People with the name Gaff: 982
  • Overall Popularity: Less than 0.01% (a rare surname)
  • Ranking: 25,226
  • Frequency per 100k people: 0.33

Below is the ethnic distribution of the surname Gaff based on recent US Census records. This is a brief glimpse into the diverse backgrounds of people carrying this surname.

Ranking information for the surname Gaff is not currently available.

Pronunciation

📇 Metaphone
KF
🗽 NYSIIS
GA
🔊 Soundex
G010
🎵 Syllabic Pronunciation
G AE1 F
🌐 IPA
/gĂŚf/
🔊 Double Metaphone
('KF', '')
🈯 Cross-Lingual Phonetic
G100

Accessibility & Communication

How to write the name Gaff in Braille

Here's how to represent Gaff in Braille, each pattern of raised dots corresponds to a letter in the name.

The name Gaff in braille

How to sign the name Gaff using Sign Language

The image below shows how you can spell Gaff using American Sign Language (ASL). In sign language, each hand shape corresponds to a specific a letter of the name.

The name Gaff in sign language

Numerology