Duncan (given name)
Duncan is a masculine given name of Scottish origin. It is an Anglicised form of Irish and Scottish Gaelic Donnchadh. One of the first people to bear the name was king of Dál Riata Dúnchad mac Dubáin, who was possibly the grandfather of Fiannamail ua Dúnchado-Fiannamail O'Dúnchado. The final letter n in the Anglicised Duncan seems to be a result of confusion in the Latin form of the name—Duncanus—with the Gaelic word ceann, meaning "head".[1] One opinion is that the Gaelic Donnchadh is composed of the elements donn, meaning "dark or dark-haired man" or "chieftain"; and cath, meaning "battle", together meaning "dark-haired or dark warrior".[2] Another opinion is that the Gaelic Donnchadh is composed of the elements donn, meaning "brown"; and chadh, meaning "chief" or "noble".[1]
| Gender | Male |
|---|---|
| Origin | |
| Meaning | chief |
| Region of origin | Scotland |
| Other names | |
| Nickname(s) | Dunc |
| Related names | Donnchadh, Donncha, Donagh |
Variations
| Old Irish | Modern Irish | Hiberno-English | Scottish Gaelic | Scottish English |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donnchadh | Donncha | Donagh | Donnchadh | Duncan |
Royalty
- Duncan I of Scotland (died 1040), king of Alba, the inspiration for King Duncan in Shakespeare's play Macbeth
- Duncan II of Scotland (1060–1094) king of Scots
Sports
- Duncan Atwood (born 1955), American javelin thrower
- Duncan Clark (athlete) (1915–2003), Scottish hammer thrower
- Duncan Edwards (1936–1958), English footballer
- Duncan Ferguson (born 1971), Scottish footballer
- Duncan Goodhew, Olympic swimmer for Great Britain
- Duncan Keith, Canadian ice hockey player
- Duncan Kibet (born 1978), Kenyan long-distance runner
- Duncan Legere (born 1989), Canadian fencer
- Duncan Lindsay (1902–1972), Scottish footballer
- Duncan McClure, (1913–1991), Scottish footballer
- Duncan Reid (born 1989), Hong Kong basketball player
- Duncan Robinson (basketball), (born 1994), American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat
- Duncan Weir (born 1991), Scottish rugby union player
Theatre and movies
- Duncan Jones, British-American movie director and writer of Moon and Warcraft
- Duncan Lamont (born 1918), Scottish actor
- Duncan Pflaster (born 1973), American playwright and actor
- Duncan Regehr, Canadian stage, film and television actor
Literature
- Duncan Campbell Scott (1862-1947), Canadian poet
Music
- Duncan Coutts (born 1969), Canadian bassist for Our Lady Peace
- Duncan James (born 1978), British singer
- Duncan Laurence (born 1994), Dutch singer
- Duncan Sheik, American singer
Politics
- Duncan Baird, American politician
- Duncan Hunter, American politician
- Duncan D. Hunter, American politician
Journalism
- Duncan McCue, Canadian journalist
Business
- Duncan Bannatyne, Scottish entrepreneur
- Duncan Hines, American entrepreneur
- Duncan Phyfe (originally Duncan Fife, 1770–1854), Scots-born American cabinetmaker
Fictional characters
- Duncan, a character in the Total Drama animated series
- Duncan Douglass, a character in Freakazoid!
- Duncan Idaho, a character in the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert
- King Duncan, a character in William Shakespeare's play Macbeth, based on Duncan I of Scotland
- Duncan MacLeod, a character in Highlander: The Series
- Ser Duncan the Tall, a character in Tales of Dunk and Egg, a series of novellas written by George R. R. Martin, set in the world of his Song of Ice and Fire cycle
See also
References
- Hanks, Patrick; Hodges, Flavia (2006). Hardcastle, Kate (ed.). Oxford Dictionary of Names (2nd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 81, 402. ISBN 978-0-19-861060-1.
- "Duncan Name Meaning and History". Ancestry.com. Retrieved 9 August 2009. For the etymology of the surname Duncan this web page cites: Dictionary of American Family Names.