Douglas
Boy name · Celtic · English · Gaelic · Scottish
Meaningdark river · Scottish
- US rank
- #807
- Syllables
- 2
- Peak
- #23 in 1942
308 babies were named Douglas in the US in 2025. It has dropped 70 places in five years.
Found on lists
Save adds it to your list. Vote moves it up the top voted names.
US births per million girls, 1904–2025
US births per million boys, 1880–2025
Most popular states (2025)
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Douglas you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
Famous Douglas
Douglas Adams
British science fiction writer and humorist (1952–2001)
Choose Douglas and your child shares a first name with Douglas Adams, a British science fiction writer and humorist. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Douglas, like who?” Douglas Adams's Wikipedia article is available in 132 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.
Read about Douglas Adams on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Photo: Michael Hughes, CC BY-SA 2.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons
- How commonAbout 1 in every 5,546 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Douglas, 308 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Douglas would very likely be the only one.
- HistoryDouglas has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Douglass, and counting.
- Best yearIt was far more popular in 1942, when it ranked #23. Today it's #807, so it could be due a comeback.
- Then vs nowDouglas was 3.3× more common in 2000 than it is today. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 1,674 baby boys; in 2025, about 1 in 5,546.
- TrendDouglas has slipped 70 places over the last five years and now sits at #807. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
- Where it's lovedDouglas is most popular in Massachusetts, where it ranks #413, followed by Pennsylvania (#506) and Virginia (#587). It's in the top 1,000 in 22 states.
- MeaningIn Scottish, Douglas means “dark river”. Our records link it to Celtic, English and Gaelic roots.
About the name Douglas
Douglas is a boy name of Celtic, English and Gaelic origin meaning “dark river”. It has 7 letters and 2 syllables, starting with D and ending in “-las”. US birth records list Douglas for boys from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1942, when it ranked #23 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #807, with 308 babies.
Origin:Celtic namesEnglish namesGaelic namesScottish names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 5.5 | 180,723 girls |
| 1910s | 12 | 81,301 girls |
| 1920s | 15 | 64,558 girls |
| 1930s | 14 | 70,373 girls |
| 1940s | 17 | 59,595 girls |
| 1950s | 15 | 64,893 girls |
| 1960s | 24 | 42,481 girls |
| 1970s | 20 | 49,261 girls |
| 1980s | 16 | 61,501 girls |
| 1990s | 2.7 | 369,004 girls |
| 2000s | 0.7 | 1,515,152 girls |
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 303 | 3,302 boys |
| 1890s | 511 | 1,958 boys |
| 1900s | 700 | 1,429 boys |
| 1910s | 964 | 1,037 boys |
| 1920s | 1,571 | 637 boys |
| 1930s | 2,456 | 407 boys |
| 1940s | 5,345 | 187 boys |
| 1950s | 7,320 | 137 boys |
| 1960s | 6,974 | 143 boys |
| 1970s | 3,916 | 255 boys |
| 1980s | 2,271 | 440 boys |
| 1990s | 1,119 | 893 boys |
| 2000s | 435 | 2,298 boys |
| 2010s | 238 | 4,197 boys |
| 2020s | 186 | 5,372 boys |
Other spellings of Douglas
More Celtic boy names
- Unisex name: Owen · well-born
- Unisex name: Logan · little hollow
- Unisex name: Rowan · little red-haired one
- Unisex name: Nolan · descendant of Nuallán
- Unisex name: Cameron · crooked nose
- Boy name: Ian · God is gracious
- Unisex name: Gael · a Gael
- Boy name: Arthur · possibly bear
Questions about the name Douglas
What does the name Douglas mean?
Douglas means “dark river” in Scottish.
What is the origin of the name Douglas?
Douglas has Celtic, English, Gaelic, Scottish roots in our records. Other Celtic names include Owen, Logan, Rowan.
Is Douglas a boy or girl name?
Douglas is a boy name.
How popular is the name Douglas?
Douglas ranked #807 for US boys in 2025, given to 308 babies. Its best year was 1942 (#23).