Douglas is a moderately popular boys' name in England & Wales, ranking #224 in 2025 with 222 recorded births. The name reached its all-time peak in 2021 with 223 births ranking #227. Since 1996, the popularity has increased by 56.3%. In 2025, approximately 1 in every 1,225 boys born was named Douglas. RISING Recent data shows the name is currently rising.
Douglas is a classic Scottish name meaning "dark water". It has a calm, traditional strength and one of the clearest landscape meanings among long-standing British names.
The name began as a place and family name in Scotland before becoming a first name. It later spread widely across the English-speaking world and remained a solid classic for many decades.