Duncan is a distinctive choice, ranked #1538 in 2025. Your child is likely to be the only Duncan in their class.
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UK Rank 2025
#1538
US Rank #930
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About the Name Duncan
Duncan has seen a notable decline in recent years, dropping 183 places in five years. It was most popular in 1996 at #220 — parents choosing it today are making a deliberately counter-trend decision. The name has been a consistent presence in UK records since 1996.
Duncan is uncommon in the UK, so your child is very likely to be the only Duncan in their class.
In the US it ranks even higher at #930, where it enjoys a particularly strong following.
⭐ Famous People Named Duncan
Martin Duncan — Martin David Anson Duncan is an English director, actor, composer, and choreographer.
Isadora Duncan — Angela Isadora Duncan was an American-born dancer and choreographer, who was a pioneer of modern contemporary dance and performed to great acclaim throughout Europe and the United States.
Biographical summaries are shortened from Wikipedia and are used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence; those summaries remain available under that same licence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name Duncan
Unlikely. With around 17 UK babies named Duncan per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Duncan in their class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Duncan has been fairly steady, ranked #1,538 in 2025 against #1,492 in 2020. Its best recorded position was #220 in 1996.
Duncan is more popular in the US (#930) than in the UK (#1675). Names with strong rankings in both countries tend to have broad cross-cultural appeal, working well for international families or those with ties to both nations.
Notable people named Duncan include: Martin Duncan, Seymour W. Duncan and Geoff Duncan. Short summaries for each appear below.
Duncan does not appear in the US top 1,000 baby names, making it a distinctively British choice — your child is unlikely to encounter American Duncans in the wild.
17
UK babies named Duncan (2025)
< 1
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.0
In a school of 600
↓ 46 places
Rank change (last 5 years)
🏫 Who else is in the room?
In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Duncan
Almost certainly the only Duncan in the class
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UK Popularity (1996–2025)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
US Popularity (2020–2023)
Rank · SSA official data
✨ Similar names to Duncan
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story
Angela Isadora Duncan was an American-born dancer and choreographer, who was a pioneer of modern contemporary dance and performed to great acclaim throughout Europe and the United States.
Donnchad mac Crinain (Scottish Gaelic: Donnchadh mac Crìonain; anglicised as Duncan I, and nicknamed An t-Ilgarach, "the Diseased" or "the Sick"; c. 1001 – 14 August 1040) was king of Scotland (Alba) from 1034 to 1040.