Douglas
Boy name · #807 in 2025 · Rare
How old is the name Douglas? In official American birth records, Douglas has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
Douglas ranks #807 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 308 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #615, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 5,844 boys born in 2025 was named Douglas.
The 145-year story
Douglas first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 29 boys received the name. The high-water mark was 1957: 16,730 babies, ranked #30. Since then the trajectory tells the real story — see the chart for the full 145-year arc. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Douglas per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Douglas against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Douglas in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Douglas is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Douglas will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Douglas is most common
Geography matters for names, and Douglas is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Douglas is most common in MA (0.4 per 1,000), PA (0.4 per 1,000), TN (0.3 per 1,000), VA (0.3 per 1,000), WA (0.3 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.2 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Douglas is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Douglas
Statistically, parents drawn to Douglas tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Dennis, Darrell, Stanley, Danny, and Curtis.
DennisDarrellStanleyDannyCurtisKeithDarrenChris
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Douglas | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 308 | #807 |
| 2024 | 286 | #848 |
| 2023 | 354 | #743 |
| 2022 | 300 | #827 |
| 2021 | 347 | #737 |
| 2020 | 334 | #737 |
| 2019 | 374 | #684 |
| 2018 | 373 | #673 |
| 2017 | 413 | #629 |
| 2016 | 447 | #603 |
| 2015 | 437 | #615 |
| 2014 | 458 | #598 |
| 2013 | 492 | #541 |
| 2012 | 452 | #570 |
| 2011 | 505 | #513 |
| 2010 | 536 | #485 |
| 2009 | 589 | #462 |
| 2008 | 687 | #424 |
| 2007 | 757 | #394 |
| 2006 | 824 | #361 |
| 2005 | 822 | #359 |
| 2004 | 799 | #353 |
| 2003 | 976 | #307 |
| 2002 | 953 | #305 |
| 2001 | 1,081 | #282 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Douglas?
In official American birth records, the name Douglas first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 29 newborn boys received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Douglas a popular boy name?
Douglas ranked #807 among boys in 2025 with 308 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #615.
When was the name Douglas most popular?
Douglas peaked in 1957, when 16,730 American boys received the name (ranked #30 that year). Since 1957 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Douglas?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 5,844 newborn American boys was named Douglas. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.