Jacksonville fans chant “Duval” as a loud, stretched-out “DUUUVAL” to show pride in Duval County, the county where Jacksonville is located and whose borders are essentially the same as the city itself.

What “Duval” Means

  • The word Duval comes from Duval County, the jurisdiction that includes almost all of Jacksonville after the city–county consolidation in 1968.
  • Shouting “DUUUVAL” is a way for locals to say “this is where we’re from,” turning the county’s name into a shared identity and rallying cry.

How the Chant Started

  • The elongated “DUUUVAL” did not begin inside the Jaguars’ stadium but in local Jacksonville culture, especially in hip‑hop and DJ scenes in the 1990s. A Jacksonville DJ known as Easy E has described using a long “DUVAL” drop in his mixes back then.
  • As the Jaguars grew in popularity, the chant migrated into games, becoming a standard roar before kickoffs, after big plays, and at fan events.

Why It Caught On So Hard

  • “DUUUVAL” is punchier and easier to yell in unison than “Jacksonville,” which helped it stick as a stadium chant and social media hashtag.
  • Fans use it with flexible meaning: it can basically stand for “Let’s go,” “Great play,” “We won,” or even just “Hey, you’re one of us” when two Jags fans cross paths.

Cultural Layers And Criticism

  • Duval County is named after William P. Duval, an early territorial governor of Florida who was also a slave owner, which has led some local activists to question celebrating the name so loudly.
  • Many fans, though, see “DUUUVAL” as having evolved beyond the historical namesake, focusing on modern Jacksonville’s community, blue‑collar vibe, and football culture.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.