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Duncan as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Duncan

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The baby name Duncan is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈdʌŋkən/ (DUN-kən).

Duncan is Scottish Gaelic in Origin.

Gender: Male
Syllables: 2.0
Origin: Scottish Gaelic
Pronunciation: /ˈdʌŋkən/ (DUN-kən)

What is the meaning of the name Duncan ?

The baby name Duncan is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈdʌŋkən/ (DUN-kən).

Duncan is Scottish Gaelic in Origin.

Rooted in Scottish Gaelic, Duncan is the standard Anglicized form of Donnchadh (Irish Donncha/Donnacha), built from donn “brown; noble, chief” + cath “battle.” The name is often interpreted as “brown warrior,” “dark-haired fighter,” or “battle-chieftain.” It was established across the medieval Gaelic world and entered wider European awareness through two kings of Scotland - Duncan I (slain by Macbeth) and Duncan II - later immortalized by Shakespeare, which secured the name’s longevity in English.

Variants reflect its Gaelic breadth: Donnchadh (Scots Gaelic), Donncha/Donnacha (Irish), and older Irish Anglicizations such as Donough. Short forms include Dunc and Dunk. As a surname, Duncan also developed independently from the given name in Scotland, aiding its spread through the diaspora. In modern usage it reads traditional yet friendly, with steady if modest popularity in Britain, Ireland, North America, and Australasia.

Duncan has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Duncan

Duncan I of Scotland Politician · Born 1001 · Kingdom of Scotland Duncan I of Scotland was a king who ruled the Kingdom of Scotland from 1034 until his death in 1040. He is most famous for being the historical basis for the character in William Shakespeare's play 'Macbeth'. His reign was marked by attempts to expand his territory, but he faced challenges from rival factions. Duncan James Actor · Born 1979 · United Kingdom Duncan James is best known as a member of the British boy band Blue, which gained fame with hits like 'All Rise' and 'One Love'. Besides his music career, he has appeared in various television shows and stage productions in the United Kingdom. Duncan Regehr Actor · Born 1952 · Canada Duncan Regehr is a Canadian actor best known for his role as Zorro in the television series 'Zorro' from the early 1990s. He also appeared in the cult classic film 'The Monster Squad' as Count Dracula. Besides acting, Regehr is an accomplished artist and writer.
Duncan Renaldo Actor · Born 1904 · United States Duncan Renaldo was an American actor best known for playing The Cisco Kid, especially in the 1950–1956 TV series The Cisco Kid and earlier Cisco Kid films. Born in Romania as Renault Renaldo Duncan, he became closely identified with the popular Western hero.

Celebrity babies named Duncan

Name Last Name(s) Mother Mother famous for Fame Level Father Father famous for Fame Level
Duncan Jones Angela Bowie singer ★★★★★ David Bowie singer ★★★★★
Duncan Youngerman Delphine Seyrig film director ★★★★★

Duncan – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Boys 2004 #1 — 557
BW 0 #18 2 960
KR Boys 0 #27 1 897
NA 0 #33 1 2,537
ID 0 #39 1 2,238
MT 0 #40 4 1,767
MO 0 #50 3 2,706
CY 0 #60 1 1,632
LU 0 #66 1 2,830
BW Boys 0 #73 81 4,685
JP 0 #75 3 4,057
MD Boys 0 #81 1 756
CN 0 #85 2 3,857
TW 0 #100 4 4,523
QA 0 #105 2 7,011
PH 0 #109 2 5,607
MT Boys 0 #118 60 4,064
OM 0 #118 4 6,215
KW 0 #121 1 5,216
CY Boys 0 #128 4 3,473
PA 0 #137 2 3,797
BN Boys 0 #138 2 6,332
BW Girls 0 #151 1 4,216
LT Boys 0 #151 1 2,166
HU Boys 0 #172 3 3,954
TW Boys 0 #174 69 7,111
UY 0 #182 1 2,477
AE 0 #185 3 10,220
CZ 0 #186 1 3,154
AR 0 #193 1 2,915
DK 0 #204 3 5,198
MO Boys 0 #207 17 5,842
LU Boys 0 #213 8 4,970
BG Boys 0 #218 3 3,850
Belgium Boys 1999 #220 23 426
NA Boys 0 #221 15 6,830
PS 0 #226 1 5,692
IR 0 #231 1 4,221
GH 0 #247 2 5,396
PT 0 #250 1 4,161
JP Girls 0 #251 1 6,592
SG 0 #251 19 11,010
ZA 0 #261 188 14,421
NG 0 #272 1 5,926
Canada Boys 2024 #273 34 2,588
ZA Boys 0 #273 2,232 25,619
JM Girls 0 #276 3 7,507
IL 0 #282 1 6,291
JP Boys 0 #285 13 7,909
JM Boys 0 #289 5 6,876
CN Boys 0 #293 27 9,639
KZ Boys 0 #296 1 6,578
CZ Boys 0 #303 3 6,530
HK 0 #314 35 8,483
GH Boys 0 #316 30 8,138
HK Boys 0 #318 239 12,905
DK Boys 0 #325 8 7,401
GH Girls 0 #334 4 6,973
PL Boys 0 #338 3 6,459
MY 0 #346 9 12,352
NL 0 #355 37 2,481
MU Boys 0 #368 2 8,477
UY Boys 0 #373 27 5,922
France Boys 2021 #374 14 2,865
PT Boys 0 #379 3 7,951
PH Boys 0 #405 4 11,440
BO 0 #408 1 6,868
EG 0 #411 2 6,387
OM Girls 0 #424 1 15,987
NL Boys 0 #428 721 5,873
CL 0 #433 2 6,867
MX 0 #444 2 8,339
SD Boys 0 #466 1 10,523
CR Boys 0 #476 12 10,188
AR Boys 0 #480 4 7,628
GT Boys 0 #494 6 7,625
PA Boys 0 #501 5 9,305
RU Boys 0 #522 5 12,621
PS Boys 0 #559 3 10,655
IR Boys 0 #565 1 10,162
CM Boys 0 #573 3 12,054
BH 0 #585 3 17,937
SG Boys 0 #609 89 17,960
BO Boys 0 #619 4 9,244
IL Boys 0 #625 1 10,983
SG Girls 0 #632 1 18,916
CL Boys 0 #636 30 13,390
HK Girls 0 #647 4 16,104
IN Girls 0 #654 1 13,121
QA Boys 0 #670 38 18,093
Finland Boys 2026 #673 10 3,552
LB 0 #690 1 13,263
IQ Boys 0 #697 1 13,071
United States Boys 2024 #700 194 7,044
KW Boys 0 #802 5 18,755
NG Girls 0 #821 6 15,093
NG Boys 0 #855 97 16,906
TN 0 #865 1 13,765
Spain Boys 0 #868 63 5,610
PE Boys 0 #868 11 14,506
Germany Boys 0 #897 56 5,697
CO Boys 0 #902 19 15,656
OM Boys 0 #911 8 17,948
United States Girls 2015 #919 5 9,502
EG Boys 0 #922 4 15,035
MY Boys 0 #924 189 25,439
MX Boys 0 #958 25 16,355
EG Girls 0 #1,009 1 14,742
IN Boys 0 #1,038 2 16,750
AE Boys 0 #1,048 45 22,615
MY Girls 0 #1,071 2 24,821
ZA Girls 0 #1,099 43 25,928
CO Girls 0 #1,152 1 16,140
MA 0 #1,197 3 20,986
TR 0 #1,202 10 19,440
DZ 0 #1,231 4 20,130
MX Girls 0 #1,265 3 17,781
IT Boys 0 #1,392 80 10,046
SA Boys 0 #1,587 28 28,008

Duncan is popular in 69 countries — most recent births per country:

Scotland, United Kingdom
France
Canada
United States
Ireland

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People also ask about Duncan

Duncan is predominantly a boy's name.
Duncan is a 2 syllable name, pronounced /ˈdʌŋkən/ (DUN-kən).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Donnchadh, Dúnchadh, Donnacha, Duncán, Donnachadh and Dunkan.
Across languages, Duncan has these equivalents: Donnchadh (Scottish Gaelic), Donnacha / Duncán (Irish).
Yes, very popular — Duncan ranked #1 in Ireland in 2004, and appears in official birth registries across 7 countries.
Duncan ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2004).
Duncan's popularity is holding steady. It moved from #1 in 1996 to #1 in 2004 in Ireland.
Yes — 4 notable people named Duncan are in our database, including Duncan I of Scotland (Politician), Duncan James (Actor), Duncan Regehr (Actor).
Yes — at least 2 celebrity couples have chosen Duncan for their child, including Angela Bowie and David Bowie.