Douglas - Name Meaning and Origin

The boy's name Douglas \do(ug)-las\ is pronounced DUG-less. It is of Scottish and Gaelic origin, and its meaning is "black river". Place name. Historical: there were two branches of this powerful Scottish clan and family - the Black Douglases and the Red Douglases. The lords of these clans are key figures in Sir Walter Scott's novels. Actors Douglas Fairbanks, father and son; author Douglas Adams; General Douglas MacArthur.

Douglas has 3 variant forms: Doug, Douglass and Dugaid.

Douglas is a very popular male first name and a very popular surname (source: 1990 U.S. Census). Displayed below is the baby name popularity trend for the boy's name Douglas. Click here to compare Douglas with related baby names.