# Duncan (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/duncan/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

A Scottish surname originating as a patronymic.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | not recorded |
| Type | patronymic, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 135,187 |
| US rank (2010) | 212 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 2,284 people |
| Change since 2000 | +3.7% (130,419 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdʌŋkən/, 2 syllables |
| Variant spellings | Donkin, Dunkin |

## 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”).

## Who carries it

Share of people named Duncan in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 76% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 17% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.5% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.5% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.0% |
| Two or more races | 2.2% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Duncan in the United States, Jamaica, Brazil, Australia, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the United Kingdom.

## People named Duncan

- Isadora Duncana, American dancer and choreographer (1877–1927)
- Michael Clarke Duncan, American actor (1957–2012)
- Tim Duncan, American basketball player (born 1976)
- Arne Duncan, American educator
- Sandy Duncan, American actress, comedian, dancer and singer (born 1946)
- Lois Duncan, American young-adult and children's writer (1934-2016)
- David Douglas Duncan, American photographer (1916-2018)
- Robert Duncan, American poet (1919-1988)
- Jimmy Duncan, American politician
- Mary Duncan, American actress (1895-1993)
- James Duncan, American discus thrower (1887–1955)
- Joseph Duncan, American politician (1794-1844)

and 29 more on Wikidata.

## Similar surnames

Dungan, Dunigan, Dunkin, Dunagan, Dunnigan, Dunson, Duncanson, Dennison, Denson, Denison, Dinkins, Dinsmore.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.