Duncan
Duncan is an Anglicised form of Irish Donnchadh. One of the first people to bear the name was king of Dál Riata Dúnchad mac Dubáin, who was possibly the grandfather of Fiannamail ua Dúnchado-Fiannamail O'Dúnchado. The final letter n in the Anglicised Duncan seems to be a result of confusion in the Latin form of the name—Duncanus—with the Gaelic word ceann, meaning "head".
- Scottish
- English
Meaning & Origin of Duncan
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Duncan is an Anglicised form of Irish Donnchadh. One of the first people to bear the name was king of Dál Riata Dúnchad mac Dubáin, who was possibly the grandfather of Fiannamail ua Dúnchado-Fiannamail O'Dúnchado. The final letter n in the Anglicised Duncan seems to be a result of confusion in the Latin form of the name—Duncanus—with the Gaelic word ceann, meaning "head".
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Scottish
- English
The Story of Duncan
Duncan first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 12 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1997, when 644 Duncans were born — ranking #378 that year. As of 2026, Duncan ranks #1,040 for baby boys with 213 births, holding steady (-1%). In total, more than 21K Duncans have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Duncan
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Duncan. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Donnchadh
Notable people named Duncan
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Duncan I of Scotland (died 1040), king of Alba, the inspiration for King Duncan in Shakespeare's play Macbeth
- Duncan II of Scotland (1060–1094) king of Scots
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Duncan
Phonetically similar names — useful when Duncan is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Dunkin
- Denken
- Dungen
- Dungan
- Danken
- Duncombe
- Dunking
- Dinkum
- Donkin
- Drunken
- Dongen
- Ducken
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Duncan
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About the name Duncan
Duncan is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 21K births in the dataset. Duncan's peak popularity came in 1997 when it ranked #378. Use the chart and map above to compare Duncan's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1997 →
- Names of the 1990s →
- Names starting with "D" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.