Duncan

Boy name

Duncan has been given to 21,230 babies in the U.S. since 1880. It peaked in 1997.

Meaning & origin /ˈdʌŋkən/

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”).

Origin: Scottish Gaelic

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Popularity over time births per year, 1880–2025

Hover or tap the chart to read any year.

Total babies

21,230

Peak year

1997 (644 babies)

Rank in 2025

Below top 1000

First recorded

1880

10-year trend

▼ -36%

Gender split

0% girls / 100% boys

Names with a similar vibe

Same primary gender, peaked around the same years, and roughly as common as Duncan.

21,237 babies since 1910

20,575 babies since 1908

20,366 babies since 1950

22,244 babies since 1915

20,103 babies since 1927

22,970 babies since 1880

23,297 babies since 1939

18,800 babies since 1924

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