UK boy's name
Doug
A masculine English name derived from the diminutive form of Douglas.
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2023. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Doug is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Doug popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2023 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4991, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2016, with 6 births.
This profile covers 24 England and Wales registrations across 6 recorded years from 2016 to 2023. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 50% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 24 living people in the UK are called Doug. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2024 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Doug ranked #4991 for boys in England and Wales in 2023, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2016, when 6 boys were registered as Doug.
- • About 24 living people in the UK are estimated to have Doug as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4991
2023
Births in 2023
3
Latest year
Peak year
2016
6 births
Estimated living
24
2026
Meaning
What does Doug mean?
The name Doug is a diminutive form of the Scottish name Douglas, which originated from the Celtic words "dubh" meaning "dark" and "glas" meaning "stream" or "water." It was initially a surname derived from a location in Lanarkshire, Scotland, where the River Douglas flows through the village of Douglas.
The earliest recorded use of the name Douglas dates back to the 12th century, with the first known bearer being a nobleman named William de Douglasdale. The Douglas family played a significant role in Scottish history, with several members holding prominent positions and titles, such as the Earl of Douglas and the Duke of Touraine.
One of the most notable figures in Scottish history with the name Douglas was Sir James Douglas, also known as the "Black Douglas" or the "Good Sir James" (c. 1286-1330). He was a close friend and ally of Robert the Bruce and played a crucial role in the Scottish Wars of Independence against England.
Another historically significant figure with the name was Stephen A. Douglas (1813-1861), an American politician who served as a U.S. Senator from Illinois and was a prominent figure in the years leading up to the American Civil War. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President of the United States in 1860, but lost to Abraham Lincoln.
In literature, the name Douglas appears in Sir Walter Scott's novel "Castle Dangerous," where it is used for the character of Sir John de Walton, also known as the "Douglas Knight." The novel is set in the late 14th century and explores the tensions between Scotland and England during that period.
Other notable individuals with the name Doug include Douglas Fairbanks Sr. (1883-1939), an American actor, screenwriter, and filmmaker who was one of the founding members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and Douglas MacArthur (1880-1964), an American five-star general who played a prominent role in the Pacific Theater during World War II and later served as the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers in Japan during the post-war occupation.
While the name Doug is primarily associated with its Scottish origins, it has gained widespread popularity across various cultures and regions, becoming a common diminutive form of the name Douglas.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Doug over time
The chart below shows babies named Doug registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2016 to 2023. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Doug, the clearest high point is 2016. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2023, compared with 6 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Doug by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Doug was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #4590 | 10 | 3 |
| 2010s | #3767 | 14 | 3 |
Related
Names similar to Doug
- Daniel 120,900
- Dylan 60,836
- David 37,852
- Dominic 20,480
- Declan 11,657
- Dexter 11,627
- Danny 8,434
- Dean 5,329
- Dillon 4,113
- Douglas 3,773
- Dominik 3,494
- Damian 3,486
FAQ
Doug: questions and answers
How popular is the name Doug in the UK right now?
In 2023, Doug was ranked #4991 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Doug most popular?
The peak year on record was 2016, with 6 babies registered as Doug in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Doug?
A masculine English name derived from the diminutive form of Douglas.
How many people are called Doug in the UK?
A total of 24 babies have been registered as Doug across the 6 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.