Duncan

“Dark warrior, or brown chieftain” — Scottish Gaelic origin

Boy's name · #1124 in the US (2025) · 90s

Duncan's best rank, #378, came in 1997; it has settled back to #1124 today. Roughly 21,000 boys have been named Duncan since 1880. It is also an American family name — about 135,000 people carried it as a surname in the 2010 census.

Around the world: about 1 in 1,200 boys in Scotland (2025) · about 1 in 4,700 boys in Canada (2024) · about 1 in 16,000 boys in England & Wales (2025).

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 23 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Famous Duncans

Duncan Haldane — professor of physics at Princeton University
Duncan Laurence — Dutch singer
Duncan I of Scotland — king of Scots from 1034 to 1040
Duncan Edwards — English footballer (1936-1958)
Duncan II of Scotland — King of Scots

In stories & tradition

Duncan Idaho — Dune
Duncan MacLeod — Highlander: The Series · Highlander: Endgame
Duncan Stewart — Home and Away

What Duncans become

Among 954 notable people named Duncan:

Military figures appear 1.92× more often than among typical names — e.g. Duncan D. Hunter, American politician and U.S. Marine Corps officer.

Similar names: Keenan · Dustin · Conor · Brennan · Brendan · Morgan

Browse more boy names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

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