The first name Duane
A boy’s name meaning “black”, “dark”, “descendant of dubhán”.
1 syllable Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Duane means “black”, “dark”, “descendant of dubhán”.
Anglicized form of the Irish name Dubhán (from Primitive Irish ᚇᚑᚃᚐᚌᚅᚔ (dovagni)), from dubh (“black, dark”); or transferred from the surname, which is from Irish Ó Dubháin (literally “descendant of Dubhán”).
More names that mean black.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
Duane last appeared in the official list in 2020, given to 6 boys. It peaked in 1996, with 17 births (#853).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Duane with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Duane at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 51 boys born in the United States were named Duane, the 2,578th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1959, when 2,965 were.
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.
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named Duane
38 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Duane AllmanAmerican guitarist (1946–1971)
- Duane EddyAmerican guitarist (1938–2024)
- Duane JonesAmerican actor (1937–1988)
- Duane G. CareyAmerican Air Force lieutenant colonel and astronaut, born 1957
- Duane MichalsAmerican photographer (1932-2026)
- Duane SwansonBasketball player (1913-2000)
- Duane HansonAmerican sculptor (1925–1996)
- Duane MartinAmerican actor, born 1965
- Duane CarterAmerican racing driver (1913–1993)
- Duane Washington Jr.German-American basketball player, born 2000
- Duane WhitakerAmerican actor, born 1959
- Duane ChapmanAmerican bounty hunter, born 1953
Questions
- What does the name Duane mean?
- Duane means “black”, “dark”, “descendant of dubhán”.
- How popular is the name Duane?
- In 2020, 6 boys born in England and Wales were named Duane, ranking 2,960th. Its peak was 1996, with 17 births.
- Is Duane a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 99% of the 116,456 US babies named Duane since 1880 were boys.
- When was Duane most popular?
- 1959 in the United States, when 2,965 babies were named Duane, its highest rank at 126th.
- What are other spellings of Duane?
- Dwayne and Duwayne.
- Is Duane also a surname?
- Yes. Duane is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.