Douglas
2 syllables
♂ Male ◎ English / Gaelic ◈ 2 syllables
"The Dark Waters"

From English / Gaelic

Douglas means dark water or dark stream — from the Scottish Gaelic dubh (dark) and glas (water). Frederick Douglass IS the most important abolitionist. Kirk Douglas IS Hollywood's most legendary. Douglas Adams wrote The Hitchhiker's Guide — 42 IS the answer to everything. Two syllables of the most important abolitionist, Hollywood's-most-legendary, and 42-is-the-answer.

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Douglas at a glance
MeaningThe Dark Waters
OriginEnglish / Gaelic
GenderMale
Syllables2
NumerologyLife Path 7
US Rank (today)#710
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Why parents love Douglas
  • Frederick Douglass IS the most important abolitionist.
  • Kirk Douglas IS Hollywood's most legendary.
  • Douglas Adams — 42 IS the answer to everything.
  • Two syllables with a strong, Scottish sound: DUG-las.
  • The meaning dark water is mysteriously powerful.
The vibe of Douglas
dark waterdark streamScottishGaelicdubhglasDouglassabolitionistKirkAdams42
Origin & history of Douglas
Scottish Gaelic dubh (dark) + glas (water) Douglas
1
English / Gaelic roots
Douglas means dark water. Douglass IS the most important abolitionist. Kirk IS Hollywood's most legendary. Adams wrote Hitchhiker's Guide — 42.
2
First recorded
Earliest known use: Scottish; Frederick Douglass (1818–1895).
3
Today
Douglas remains a beloved choice, ranking #710 in the US. 561,781 babies have been named Douglas since 1880.
◈ Sources: Behind the Name, Oxford Dictionary of First Names, SSA data
How popular is Douglas?
1957 peak year
The name Douglas reached its peak in 1957, with 16,731 registrations (ranked #30). It had been quietly building for over half a century before that, first appearing in records in 1880. Since the peak, the name has eased to around #710 today, averaging about 366 new babies per year. Douglas's usage has held roughly steady recently. Across all years on record, approximately 561,781 American babies have carried this name.
Year-by-year registrations 1880–2024 · U.S. Social Security data
16,731 Babies named in peak year
(ranked #30)
366 Avg. per year
(last decade)
3,660 Total registrations
last 10 years
561,781 All-time total
(since 1880)
Popularity in the US today (rank #710) Popular
→ Holding steady in recent years
📊 Check all names registered in the United States →
Numerology of Douglas
7
Life path number
The Seeker
Wisdom, introspection and spiritual depth.

Douglas's Life Path 7 is the seeker's number — 42-seeking. People named Douglas tend to be strong, legendary, and gifted at being the abolitionist AND Hollywood AND the answer to everything.

Abolitionist AND Hollywood AND 42
Douglass-freedom
Kirk-legendary
Adams-Hitchhiker
Dark-water
D4
O6
U3
G7
L3
A1
S1
Sum: 25 → Life path 7
Personality of Douglas
🔍
Curious & intellectual
Always questioning, always learning.
📚
Deep thinker
Surface answers don't satisfy them.
🌙
Reflective & wise
They think before they speak. Worth hearing.
🦋
Beautifully independent
Their solitude is purposeful, not lonely.
Famous people named Douglas

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Names that combine with Douglas

Sibling pairings that share the timeless, classic energy of Douglas.

Middle names for Douglas

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Numerology life path calculator

Enter any full name and date of birth to discover the life path number — a core numerological indicator of personality, purpose and destiny.

First name
Middle name (optional)
Last name
Date of birth
7
Life path number

How we calculated this
Douglas is a beautiful choice.
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