Male name
Duncan
1,238 births (England and Wales, 1996–2025), peaking in 1996. Expression number: 3.
Origin
As a Scottish Gaelic and Irish surname, from Donnchadh, a name composed of donn (“brown”) + cath (“battle”). Also spelled as Donagh and Donaghue, Donahue. Also as an Irish surname, Anglicized from Ó Duinnchinn, from donn (“brown”) + ceann (“head”).From Wiktionary, entry “Duncan”, text under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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How many babies received it
From the official birth registers.
In England and Wales
Peak in 1996: 139 births. 1,238 births from 1996 to 2025. A name given mostly in the 1990s and 2000s. It is still given: 86 births from 2021 to 2025.
Source: Office for National Statistics, Baby names in England and Wales, Open Government Licence v3.0.
In the United States
Peak in 1997: 644 births. 21,230 births from 1880 to 2025. A name given steadily, decade after decade, from the 1950s to the 2020s. It really came into use around 1911. It is still given: 1,098 births from 2021 to 2025.
Source: Social Security Administration, Popular Baby Names, public domain.
In Ireland
Peak in 1971: 12 births. 113 births from 1964 to 2025. A name given mostly in the 1970s and 1980s. Fewer than ten births recorded from 2021 to 2025.
Source: Central Statistics Office, Irish Babies' Names, CC BY 4.0.
Elsewhere in the world
The name in the birth records of the 10 countries we track. The period covered varies from country to country.
| Country | Births | Period | Best rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | 1,445 | 1900–2025 | — |
Source: INSEE, Fichier des prénoms, Etalab Open Licence 2.0.
The numbers of the name
Each letter has a value: A = 1, B = 2… I = 9, then J = 1 again (Pythagorean method). We add them up, then reduce to a single digit, except 11, 22 and 33.
■ vowel · ■ consonant
Expression
All the letters: talents, the way you act.
3
expression, creativity, sociability
4 + 3 + 5 + 3 + 1 + 5 = 21 → 3
Soul
The vowels: what drives you deep down.
4
work, structure, stability
3 + 1 = 4
Personality
The consonants: what others notice first.
8
power, achievement, your relationship with money
4 + 5 + 3 + 5 = 17 → 8
- Digits missing from the name
- 2, 6, 7, 8, 9
- Most frequent digit
- 3 · expression, creativity, sociability
The meaning of the numbers comes from numerological tradition; it isn't a measure of your personality. A full portrait needs your first and middle names, your last name at birth, and your date of birth. How we calculate
Your name and theirs
The number of each name, and the number of the bond, which comes from adding them together. A symbolic game: what your two names say together, to be read as a metaphor, not as a verdict on your relationship.