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Name Lineage

    The first name Douglas

    A boy’s name meaning “black”, “stream”.

    Pronounced /ˈdʌɡləs/ 2 syllables Male Also a surname

    Meaning and origin

    Douglas means “black”, “stream”.

    From a place name, Scottish Gaelic dubh (“black”) + glais (“stream”).

    More names that mean black, water.

    From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

    Popularity

    Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025

    In 2025, 222 boys were named Douglas, making it the 224th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 2021, with 223 births (#227).

    0150300 1996200020052010201520202025
    3,995
    babies named Douglas, 1996–2025
    #224
    rank in 2025
    2021
    peak year

    Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Douglas with other names.

    Popularity in the United States

    Babies named Douglas at birth, 1880–2025

    In 2025, 308 boys born in the United States were named Douglas, the 807th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1957, when 16,730 were.

    010,00020,000 188018851890189519001905191019151920192519301935194019451950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025
    562,086
    babies named Douglas since 1880
    #807
    rank in 2025
    1957
    peak year

    US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.

    Douglas in other languages

    Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary

    Дъ́глас
    Dắglas
    Bulgarian
    道格拉斯
    Dàogélāsī
    Chinese
    डगलस
    ḍaglas
    Hindi
    Dúghlas
    Irish
    Dùghlas
    Scottish Gaelic

    Spelled Douglas in Portuguese too.

    Nicknames and spellings

    Nicknames for Douglas

    Other spellings and forms

    Famous people named Douglas

    240 on Wikidata, most written-about first

    • Douglas Engelbart
      American engineer and inventor (1925–2013)
    • Douglas Osheroff
      American physicist, born 1945
    • Edgar Douglas Adrian
      English electrophysiologist (1889-1977)
    • Douglas Fairbanks
      American actor, screenwriter, director, and producer (1883–1939)
    • Douglas Costa
      Brazilian association football player, born 1990
    • Douglas Hyde
      First President of Ireland; historian, poet, and folklorist (1860-1949)
    • Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig
      British senior officer during the First World War (1861-1928)
    • Douglas Diamond
      American economist and professor of finance, born 1953
    • Douglas Mawson
      Australian geologist and explorer of the Antarctic (1882-1958)
    • Douglas Luiz
      Brazilian association football player, born 1998
    • Douglas Fairbanks Jr.
      American actor and United States naval officer (1909–2000)
    • Douglas Coupland
      Canadian novelist, short story writer, playwright, and graphic designer (born 1961)

    Questions

    What does the name Douglas mean?
    Douglas means “black”, “stream”.
    How popular is the name Douglas?
    In 2025, 222 boys born in England and Wales were named Douglas, ranking 224th. Its peak was 2021, with 223 births.
    What are nicknames for Douglas?
    Common nicknames for Douglas include Doug, Dougo, Doogie, Doog, Dougie.
    Is Douglas a boy's or a girl's name?
    Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 562,086 US babies named Douglas since 1880 were boys.
    When was Douglas most popular?
    1957 in the United States, when 16,730 babies were named Douglas, its highest rank at 30th.
    How do you pronounce Douglas?
    Douglas is /ˈdʌɡləs/, 2 syllables.
    What are other spellings of Douglas?
    Douglass.
    Is Douglas also a surname?
    Yes. Douglas is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.