is that French?

No. Apparently it's Russian.

I can't tell you how frequenly people ask me about the history of the name Duchon. "Is that French?" they always ask. Over the years I've inquired to family members so that I'd have an intelligent answer. But until now, I've never gotten a clear enough answer so that I was able to retain the information long enough to reiterate. Thus, this latest description from Scott that I received yesterday via email from New Hampshire is to be published. Here. For all to see and for me never to forget.

The Duchon side of the family is from Russia and were Priests (Kohanim)...we believe their names were "Dukhan" which if you read below is part of the altar area in a synagogue where the Ark resides. This jives with what I've always heard that his side of the family were Holy people/priests.

Here's an excerpt from something I found online:

We have spent quite some time on the ceremony of what is usually called in Yiddish Dukhenen. This is a hybrid term derived from the Hebrew dukhan which means 'platform' or 'stage'. Our sources usually refer to the ceremony under discussion as 'the kohanim [priests] ascending the dukhan'. This is a reference to the area in front of the ark which is raised in most synagogues. The term itself is actually derived from the fact that in the Bet Mikdash when they invoked the divine blessing the priests would stand on the flight of steps that led from the Priests' Courtyard into the main Sanctuary.