Dugald
A Scottish Gaelic masculine name possibly derived from the Gaelic dubh-gall meaning "dark stranger" or "dark foreigner".
Name Census estimates that about 4 living Americans carry the first name Dugald. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Dugald today is around 75 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Dugald births was 1919 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Dugald. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Dugald with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Dugald is about 75 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Dugalds were born before 1961.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Dugald. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
4
~ 1 in 85,688,585 Americans
Peak year
1919
6 babies that year
Average age
75
years old
1948 SSA rank
#3,818
Tracked since 1919
Popularity
Dugald: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Dugald from the 1910s through to the 1940s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 6 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Dugald by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Dugald during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Dugald
The name Dugald originates from the Scottish Gaelic language, with its roots traced back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Celtic elements "dubh" meaning "dark" and "gall" meaning "stranger" or "foreigner." This combination suggests the name may have initially referred to a dark-complexioned person of foreign descent.
One of the earliest known references to the name Dugald can be found in the ancient Scottish genealogies, where it appears as a personal name borne by members of the Clan MacDougall, a prominent family in the western Scottish Highlands during the 12th and 13th centuries. The name was particularly prevalent in regions such as Argyll and the Hebrides Islands.
In the 16th century, the name Dugald gained recognition through the figure of Dugald Campbell (c. 1530-1620), a Scottish clergyman who served as the Rector of the University of Glasgow. He played a significant role in the Scottish Reformation and was known for his scholarly work on theology and philosophy.
Another notable bearer of the name was Dugald Stewart (1753-1828), a Scottish philosopher and mathematician who served as the Chair of Moral Philosophy at the University of Edinburgh. His writings on ethics, political economy, and the philosophy of the human mind had a profound influence on the development of the Scottish Enlightenment.
In the literary realm, Dugald Dalgetty is a memorable character from Sir Walter Scott's novel "A Legend of Montrose" (1819). This fictional Scottish soldier of fortune embodied the stereotypical traits of a mercenary, adding to the cultural significance of the name.
Dugald Buchanan (1716-1768), a Scottish poet and religious writer, is remembered for his influential works in Gaelic literature. His collection of spiritual hymns and poems, known as "The Spiritual Songs of Dugald Buchanan," had a lasting impact on the religious culture of the Scottish Highlands.
The name Dugald has maintained a presence throughout Scottish history, albeit with varying degrees of popularity. While it may not be as commonly used today as it once was, it remains a part of the rich cultural heritage of Scotland, carrying the echoes of its ancient Celtic roots and the remarkable individuals who bore this name.
People
Dugald + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Dugald as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with D
Other first names starting with D with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Dugald: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Dugald?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 4 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Dugald going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 85,688,585 US residents.
Is Dugald a common name?
We classify Dugald as "Very Rare". It ranks above 6.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 16 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Dugald most popular?
The single biggest year for Dugald was 1919, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Dugald is about 75 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Dugald in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Dugald a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Dugald in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Dugald still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Dugald in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Dugald can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How common is the name Dugald?
See how many people have the name Dugald on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.