# Duncan (first name)

Source: https://namelineage.com/first-name/duncan/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. US counts from the Social Security Administration; England and Wales counts from the Office for National Statistics; meaning and etymology from Wiktionary. Data updated 2026-11-11.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Usually given to | boys |
| Origin | Scottish Gaelic |
| Meaning | “brown”, “battle”, “head” |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdʌŋkən/, 2 syllables |
| Nicknames | Dunky, Dunc |
| Variant spellings | Donkin, Dunkin |
| US babies named this | 21,230 since 1880 |
| Boys / girls in the US | 21,219 / 11 (0% girls) |
| Babies in England and Wales | 1,238, 1996 to 2025 |

## Etymology

* As a Scottish Gaelic and Irish surname, from Donnchadh, a name composed of donn (“brown”) + cath (“battle”). Also spelled as Donagh and Donaghue, Donahue. * Also as an Irish surname, Anglicized from Ó Duinnchinn, from donn (“brown”) + ceann (“head”).

## What it means

Duncan is grouped under warrior.

## Popularity

The last 15 years of each series. A year is missing when too few babies were given the name for the agency to publish it: five in the US, three in England and Wales.

### United States, girls

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 6 | 12,286 |
| 2015 | 5 | 17,192 |

### United States, boys

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 275 | 801 |
| 2012 | 263 | 831 |
| 2013 | 262 | 823 |
| 2014 | 287 | 801 |
| 2015 | 294 | 790 |
| 2016 | 286 | 806 |
| 2017 | 251 | 869 |
| 2018 | 235 | 917 |
| 2019 | 205 | 1,014 |
| 2020 | 217 | 982 |
| 2021 | 216 | 1,018 |
| 2022 | 253 | 915 |
| 2023 | 244 | 930 |
| 2024 | 195 | 1,104 |
| 2025 | 190 | 1,124 |

### England and Wales, boys

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 39 | 781 |
| 2012 | 20 | 1,270 |
| 2013 | 33 | 882 |
| 2014 | 21 | 1,223 |
| 2015 | 17 | 1,442 |
| 2016 | 26 | 1,081 |
| 2017 | 28 | 1,042 |
| 2018 | 21 | 1,235 |
| 2019 | 14 | 1,655 |
| 2020 | 16 | 1,492 |
| 2021 | 13 | 1,782 |
| 2022 | 18 | 1,420 |
| 2023 | 23 | 1,207 |
| 2024 | 15 | 1,675 |
| 2025 | 17 | 1,538 |

## In other languages

- Chinese: 鄧肯 /邓肯
- Irish: Donncha, Donnchadh
- Korean: 덩컨
- Russian: Дункан
- Scottish Gaelic: Donnchadh

## People named Duncan

- Duncan Laurence, Dutch singer
- Duncan Edwards, English footballer (1936-1958)
- Duncan James, English singer
- Duncan Jones, British film director
- Robert Duncan McNeill, American actor and director
- Duncan McNaughton, athletics competitor (1910-1998)
- Duncan Keith, Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman
- Duncan L. Hunter, American politician
- Duncan Grant, British artist (1885-1978)
- Duncan Watmore, England association football player (born 1994)
- Duncan Robinson, American basketball player (born 1994)
- Duncan Gregg, American rower (1910-1989)

## How to read these numbers

A count is babies registered with that name in that year, not people alive now, so a name common a century ago can have a large total and few recent births.