boys' name ★ peaked 1997

Duncan

Gender Boy Rank 2025 #1,124 Trend → Stable

A male given name from Scottish Gaelic anglicized from Scottish Gaelic Donnchadh; the name of two early saints and of two kings of Scotland.

Rank 2025
#1,124
among boys · ↓20 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
190
named Duncan · -3% vs 2024
How common
1 in 8,990
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1997
644 babies
All-time total
21,230
#812 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Duncan popularity over time

21,230 babies have been named Duncan since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.10.20.30.418801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – 139 139 14 – #396
1890s – 117 117 12 -16% #448
1900s – 116 116 12 -1% #557
1910s – 542 542 54 +367% #601
1920s – 767 767 77 +42% #665
1930s – 653 653 65 -15% #716
1940s – 1,178 1,178 118 +80% #538
1950s – 1,783 1,783 178 +51% #472
1960s – 1,389 1,389 139 -22% #493
1970s – 933 933 93 -33% #713
1980s – 1,414 1,414 141 +52% #690
1990s 6 4,221 4,227 423 +199% #378
2000s – 3,965 3,965 397 -6% #447
2010s 5 2,687 2,692 269 -32% #709
2020s (to 2025) – 1,315 1,315 219 -19% #915

Where Duncan is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 189 0.11 outside top 500
2027 188 0.11 outside top 500
2028 187 0.11 outside top 500
2029 187 0.11 outside top 500
2030 186 0.11 outside top 500

Where Duncan is most popular

Boys named Duncan per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.127 per 1,000. Strongest in Utah, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Duncan born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Boys 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
Utah 27 0.283 +123%
Wisconsin 32 0.270 +112%
Minnesota 33 0.269 +112%
Washington 42 0.257 +102%
Idaho 10 0.244 +92%
Colorado 31 0.240 +89%
Oregon 17 0.224 +76%
Virginia 39 0.206 +62%
Illinois 49 0.192 +51%
Michigan 39 0.190 +50%
Tennessee 34 0.188 +48%
Ohio 48 0.181 +42%
South Carolina 18 0.174 +37%
Indiana 25 0.156 +23%
Pennsylvania 39 0.147 +16%
North Carolina 32 0.125 ≈ national
Missouri 17 0.123 ≈ national
New York 50 0.115 -9%
Georgia 25 0.099 -22%
Kansas 6 0.087 -31%
California 78 0.085 -33%
Texas 72 0.082 -36%
Kentucky 8 0.080 -37%
Arizona 11 0.067 -47%
Oklahoma 5 0.057 -56%
Louisiana 5 0.049 -62%
New Jersey 8 0.040 -69%
Florida 16 0.034 -73%
Alaska – – –
Alabama – – –
Arkansas – – –
Connecticut – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Hawaii – – –
Iowa – – –
Massachusetts – – –
Maryland – – –
Maine – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Mexico – – –
Nevada – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Dakota – – –
Vermont – – –
West Virginia – – –
Wyoming – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Duncan

Duncan is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #1,124 in 2025 with 190 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 21,230 American babies have been named Duncan. Its peak came in 1997, when 644 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1990s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Duncan stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Duncan?

The median living Duncan is about 27 years old; half are between 17 and 42. An estimated 17 thousand people named Duncan are alive in the United States today.

median 27 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Duncan year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 – – 190 #1,124
2024 – – 195 #1,104
2023 – – 244 #930
2022 – – 253 #915
2021 – – 216 #1,018
2020 – – 217 #982
2019 – – 205 #1,014
2018 – – 235 #917
2017 – – 251 #869
2016 – – 286 #806
2015 5 #17,192 294 #790
2014 – – 287 #801
2013 – – 262 #823
2012 – – 263 #831
2011 – – 275 #801
2010 – – 329 #709
2009 – – 318 #735
2008 – – 324 #716
2007 – – 288 #765
2006 – – 351 #656
2005 – – 359 #619
2004 – – 402 #567
2003 – – 421 #543
2002 – – 472 #487
2001 – – 500 #474
2000 – – 530 #447
1995 – – 456 #473
1990 – – 190 #740
1985 – – 164 #690
1980 – – 99 #901
1975 – – 85 #896
1970 – – 134 #713
1965 – – 126 #661
1960 – – 174 #595
1955 – – 145 #616
1950 – – 133 #590
1945 – – 114 #563
1940 – – 87 #643
1935 – – 67 #753
1930 – – 67 #786
1925 – – 86 #698
1920 – – 86 #696
1915 – – 70 #701
1910 – – 14 #830
1905 – – 12 #713
1900 – – 17 #607
1895 – – 14 #562
1890 – – 9 #684
1885 – – 14 #507
1880 – – 12 #540

Famous people named Duncan

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Duncan Jones Duncan Jones British director, producer, screenwriter (born 1971) Contemporary
  2. 2 Duncan Ferguson Duncan Ferguson Scottish football manager and former player (born 1971) Contemporary
  3. 3 Duncan James Duncan James English singer and actor (born 1978) Contemporary
  4. 4 Duncan Keith Duncan Keith Canadian ice hockey player (born 1983) Contemporary
  5. 5 Duncan I of Scotland King of Alba from 1034 to 1040 1001–1040 · Medieval
  6. 6 Duncan Laurence Duncan Laurence Dutch singer (born 1994) Contemporary
  7. 7 Duncan Watmore Duncan Watmore English former professional footballer b. 1994 · Contemporary
  8. 8 Duncan Regehr Duncan Regehr Canadian multimedia artist and actor (born 1952) Contemporary
  9. 9 Duncan Scott Duncan Scott Scottish swimmer (born 1997) Contemporary
  10. 10 Duncan Haldane Duncan Haldane British physicist b. 1951 · Contemporary
  11. 11 Duncan Hamilton Duncan Hamilton British racing driver (1920-1994) Contemporary
  12. 12 Duncan II of Scotland Duncan II of Scotland King of Alba in 1094 1060–1094 · Medieval
  13. 13 Duncan White Duncan White Ceylonese athlete 1918–1998 · Contemporary
  14. 14 Duncan Armstrong Australian swimmer (born 1968) Contemporary
  15. 15 Duncan Oughton Duncan Oughton New Zealand footballer (born 1977) Contemporary
  16. 16 Duncan McNaughton Duncan McNaughton Canadian athlete (1910–1998) Contemporary
  17. 17 Duncan Hunter Topics referred to by the same term b. 1948 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Duncan, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Duncan?

The median living Duncan is about 27 years old. Half of all living Duncans are between 17 and 42 years old.

How many people named Duncan are alive today?

An estimated 17 thousand people named Duncan are alive in the United States, based on 21,230 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Duncan mean?

A male given name from Scottish Gaelic anglicized from Scottish Gaelic Donnchadh; the name of two early saints and of two kings of Scotland.

How popular is the name Duncan in 2025?

Duncan ranked #1,124 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 190 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Duncan?

21,230 babies have been named Duncan in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Duncan most popular?

Duncan peaked in 1997, when 644 newborns received the name.

Is Duncan a boy or girl name?

Duncan is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Duncan rising or falling?

Duncan is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Duncan become more popular?

Duncan looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 186 boys named Duncan in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Duncan?

Well-known people named Duncan include Duncan Jones (film director), Duncan Ferguson (soccer player), Duncan James (singer).

Names like Duncan

Names that sound and feel close to Duncan: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Duncan with similar names → More names starting with D →