Duncan is a boy name with a modern feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Duncan means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Duncan across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Duncan has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Duncan is a boy name of Scottish (Gaelic) origin meaning “brown warrior”. From Gaelic Donnchadh, borne by kings of Scotland.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 21,230 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 1,225 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 3,617 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 9 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 113 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 471 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Duncan per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1997 (644/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1996 (139/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1974 (130/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1971 (12/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 1998 (5/yr).
Duncan has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1997, when it ranked #780 nationally (given to 818 babies that year).
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