At a glance
- U.S. rank 2025
- #807 of boy names
- Babies in 2025
- 308 (0.017% of boys)
- Trend
- Steady #737 in 2020 to #807 in 2025
- Peak
- #23 in 1942
- First recorded
- 1880
Meaning of Douglas
Douglas, born of the Scottish Gaelic dubh-ghlas—“dark river” whispered through heather and mist—carries the cool strength of a Highland stream yet moves with the easy elegance of an evening passeggiata along the Arno. He evokes Clan Douglas banners unfurling in medieval winds, the swashbuckling grace of silver-screen Fairbanks, the steadfast resolve of General MacArthur, and even the evergreen majesty of the Douglas fir, standing tall like cypress sentinels on a Tuscan hill. The name tastes smooth on the tongue—DUHG-luhs—rich as cocoa, familiar as a friend who pulls out a chair before you’ve thought to sit. Though his popularity has ebbed from its 1960s crest like a tide retreating over polished stones, Douglas remains quietly radiant, a timeless choice for parents who want a son’s name to feel both knightly and neighborly, as ready for adventure as for an affectionate nickname of “Doug.”
How to pronounce Douglas
English
- Pronounced DUHG-luhs /ˈdʌɡ.ləs/
Popularity of Douglas in the U.S.
Douglas was the #807 boy name in the U.S. in 2025, with 308 babies. It peaked at #23 in 1942 and has been in the top 1,000 since 1880.
- Rank among U.S. boy names (right scale, #1 at the top)
Year-by-year table, 1880–2025 146 rows
| Year | Babies | Rank | vs previous year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 308 | 807 | ▲ 41 |
| 2024 | 286 | 848 | ▼ 105 |
| 2023 | 354 | 743 | ▲ 84 |
| 2022 | 300 | 827 | ▼ 90 |
| 2021 | 347 | 737 | – |
| 2020 | 334 | 737 | ▼ 53 |
| 2019 | 374 | 684 | ▼ 11 |
| 2018 | 373 | 673 | ▼ 44 |
| 2017 | 413 | 629 | ▼ 26 |
| 2016 | 447 | 603 | ▲ 12 |
| 2015 | 437 | 615 | ▼ 17 |
| 2014 | 458 | 598 | ▼ 57 |
| 2013 | 492 | 541 | ▲ 29 |
| 2012 | 452 | 570 | ▼ 57 |
| 2011 | 505 | 513 | ▼ 28 |
| 2010 | 536 | 485 | ▼ 23 |
| 2009 | 589 | 462 | ▼ 38 |
| 2008 | 687 | 424 | ▼ 30 |
| 2007 | 757 | 394 | ▼ 33 |
| 2006 | 824 | 361 | ▼ 2 |
| 2005 | 822 | 359 | ▼ 6 |
| 2004 | 799 | 353 | ▼ 46 |
| 2003 | 976 | 307 | ▼ 2 |
| 2002 | 953 | 305 | ▼ 23 |
| 2001 | 1,081 | 282 | ▼ 8 |
| 2000 | 1,173 | 274 | ▼ 27 |
| 1999 | 1,290 | 247 | ▼ 20 |
| 1998 | 1,403 | 227 | ▼ 26 |
| 1997 | 1,586 | 201 | ▼ 20 |
| 1996 | 1,793 | 181 | ▼ 13 |
| 1995 | 1,947 | 168 | ▼ 12 |
| 1994 | 2,162 | 156 | ▼ 17 |
| 1993 | 2,461 | 139 | ▼ 12 |
| 1992 | 2,630 | 127 | ▼ 18 |
| 1991 | 3,156 | 109 | ▼ 6 |
| 1990 | 3,544 | 103 | ▼ 11 |
| 1989 | 3,700 | 92 | ▼ 4 |
| 1988 | 3,655 | 88 | ▼ 3 |
| 1987 | 3,804 | 85 | ▼ 3 |
| 1986 | 3,763 | 82 | ▼ 6 |
| 1985 | 4,021 | 76 | ▼ 5 |
| 1984 | 4,142 | 71 | ▼ 2 |
| 1983 | 4,182 | 69 | ▼ 1 |
| 1982 | 4,511 | 68 | ▼ 4 |
| 1981 | 4,788 | 64 | ▼ 2 |
| 1980 | 5,180 | 62 | ▼ 4 |
| 1979 | 5,167 | 58 | ▲ 1 |
| 1978 | 5,151 | 59 | – |
| 1977 | 5,297 | 59 | ▼ 3 |
| 1976 | 5,224 | 56 | ▼ 1 |
| 1975 | 5,345 | 55 | ▼ 2 |
| 1974 | 5,843 | 53 | ▼ 6 |
| 1973 | 6,595 | 47 | ▼ 4 |
| 1972 | 7,387 | 43 | ▼ 4 |
| 1971 | 8,737 | 39 | ▼ 3 |
| 1970 | 10,409 | 36 | ▼ 2 |
| 1969 | 11,237 | 34 | ▼ 1 |
| 1968 | 11,405 | 33 | – |
| 1967 | 11,434 | 33 | – |
| 1966 | 11,401 | 33 | ▼ 1 |
| 1965 | 12,787 | 32 | ▼ 1 |
| 1964 | 14,600 | 31 | ▼ 3 |
| 1963 | 15,086 | 28 | ▼ 1 |
| 1962 | 15,928 | 27 | ▲ 1 |
| 1961 | 15,978 | 28 | ▲ 2 |
| 1960 | 15,133 | 30 | – |
| 1959 | 15,290 | 30 | – |
| 1958 | 15,798 | 30 | – |
| 1957 | 16,730 | 30 | ▼ 1 |
| 1956 | 16,389 | 29 | – |
| 1955 | 15,311 | 29 | – |
| 1954 | 14,703 | 29 | ▼ 2 |
| 1953 | 14,138 | 27 | ▲ 1 |
| 1952 | 13,680 | 28 | ▼ 1 |
| 1951 | 13,902 | 27 | ▲ 1 |
| 1950 | 12,264 | 28 | ▲ 1 |
| 1949 | 11,322 | 29 | ▲ 4 |
| 1948 | 9,468 | 33 | ▼ 2 |
| 1947 | 9,895 | 31 | ▲ 3 |
| 1946 | 8,336 | 34 | ▼ 5 |
| 1945 | 7,394 | 29 | ▲ 5 |
| 1944 | 6,998 | 34 | ▼ 6 |
| 1943 | 8,236 | 28 | ▼ 5 |
| 1942 | 11,233 | 23 | ▲ 30 |
| 1941 | 4,146 | 53 | ▲ 3 |
| 1940 | 3,732 | 56 | ▲ 2 |
| 1939 | 3,564 | 58 | ▲ 2 |
| 1938 | 3,508 | 60 | ▲ 14 |
| 1937 | 2,610 | 74 | ▲ 4 |
| 1936 | 2,374 | 78 | ▼ 3 |
| 1935 | 2,529 | 75 | ▼ 3 |
| 1934 | 2,541 | 72 | ▲ 9 |
| 1933 | 2,252 | 81 | ▲ 4 |
| 1932 | 2,284 | 85 | – |
| 1931 | 2,203 | 85 | ▲ 4 |
| 1930 | 2,166 | 89 | ▲ 8 |
| 1929 | 1,965 | 97 | ▲ 5 |
| 1928 | 1,912 | 102 | ▲ 2 |
| 1927 | 1,821 | 104 | ▼ 2 |
| 1926 | 1,778 | 102 | ▲ 1 |
| 1925 | 1,677 | 103 | ▲ 2 |
| 1924 | 1,676 | 105 | ▲ 3 |
| 1923 | 1,613 | 108 | ▼ 2 |
| 1922 | 1,636 | 106 | ▲ 5 |
| 1921 | 1,566 | 111 | ▼ 5 |
| 1920 | 1,657 | 106 | ▲ 15 |
| 1919 | 1,328 | 121 | ▼ 6 |
| 1918 | 1,432 | 115 | ▲ 23 |
| 1917 | 981 | 138 | ▲ 13 |
| 1916 | 815 | 151 | ▲ 7 |
| 1915 | 734 | 158 | ▲ 17 |
| 1914 | 502 | 175 | ▼ 12 |
| 1913 | 428 | 163 | ▲ 2 |
| 1912 | 350 | 165 | ▲ 16 |
| 1911 | 169 | 181 | ▼ 9 |
| 1910 | 169 | 172 | ▲ 9 |
| 1909 | 126 | 181 | ▲ 9 |
| 1908 | 111 | 190 | ▲ 7 |
| 1907 | 99 | 197 | ▼ 14 |
| 1906 | 99 | 183 | ▲ 22 |
| 1905 | 85 | 205 | ▲ 32 |
| 1904 | 64 | 237 | ▼ 69 |
| 1903 | 100 | 168 | ▲ 36 |
| 1902 | 76 | 204 | ▼ 28 |
| 1901 | 83 | 176 | ▲ 13 |
| 1900 | 107 | 189 | ▼ 2 |
| 1899 | 73 | 187 | ▲ 20 |
| 1898 | 71 | 207 | ▲ 15 |
| 1897 | 58 | 222 | ▼ 13 |
| 1896 | 72 | 209 | ▲ 14 |
| 1895 | 61 | 223 | ▼ 16 |
| 1894 | 66 | 207 | ▲ 19 |
| 1893 | 56 | 226 | ▲ 9 |
| 1892 | 57 | 235 | ▲ 48 |
| 1891 | 33 | 283 | ▼ 4 |
| 1890 | 38 | 279 | ▼ 13 |
| 1889 | 39 | 266 | ▼ 21 |
| 1888 | 50 | 245 | ▲ 31 |
| 1887 | 34 | 276 | ▲ 12 |
| 1886 | 35 | 288 | ▲ 19 |
| 1885 | 30 | 307 | ▼ 19 |
| 1884 | 36 | 288 | ▼ 4 |
| 1883 | 33 | 284 | ▲ 23 |
| 1882 | 32 | 307 | ▲ 124 |
| 1881 | 16 | 431 | ▼ 117 |
| 1880 | 29 | 314 | – |
Douglas by state
Douglas ranks #413 in Massachusetts (2025).
Rank by state 23 states
| State | Rank | Babies |
|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | 413 | 12 |
| Pennsylvania | 506 | 19 |
| Virginia | 587 | 12 |
| Tennessee | 592 | 12 |
| Washington | 639 | 10 |
| South Carolina | 668 | 6 |
| Wisconsin | 678 | 6 |
| Alabama | 685 | 6 |
| Oklahoma | 698 | 5 |
| Ohio | 710 | 12 |
| New York | 716 | 20 |
| Colorado | 756 | 6 |
| Michigan | 768 | 9 |
| Arizona | 781 | 7 |
| Georgia | 792 | 11 |
| Minnesota | 807 | 5 |
| Florida | 809 | 18 |
| New Jersey | 829 | 7 |
| Illinois | 935 | 8 |
| Indiana | 949 | 5 |
| California | 957 | 23 |
| Texas | 974 | 24 |
| North Carolina | 1,028 | 7 |
Notable people named Douglas
- Douglas MacArthur was a celebrated American general who commanded Allied forces in World War II and the Korean War, reaching the esteemed rank of General of the Army.
- Douglas Adams was an English author and humorist best known for creating The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which originated as a radio comedy and expanded into a bestselling book series and various adaptations.
- Douglas Gordon Ross is a Scottish politician who led the Scottish Conservative Party and served as Leader of the Opposition, having been an MP and now an MSP.
- Sir Douglas Mawson was an Australian geologist and Antarctic explorer renowned for his leadership in polar expeditions and his geological research in South Australia's Flinders Ranges.
- Douglas Rushkoff is an American media theorist celebrated for his cyberpunk roots, open source advocacy, and critiques of technocapitalism.
More people named Douglas 5 more
- Lawrence Douglas Wilder is an American lawyer and politician who made history as the first African American governor of Virginia and now teaches at Virginia Commonwealth University's Wilder School.
- Douglas Hyde was the first president of Ireland and a leading figure in the Gaelic revival movement.
- Douglas Jerome Preston is an acclaimed American journalist and author, famous for his bestselling thrillers with Lincoln Child as well as his solo novels and nonfiction works.
- Douglas Osheroff is an American physicist who shared the 1996 Nobel Prize for co-discovering superfluidity in Helium-3 and is now an emeritus professor at Stanford University.
- Douglas Murray is a British neoconservative political commentator and author who serves as an associate editor at The Spectator and contributes to various major publications.