2000
#95,091
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 178
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.07
Very Rare Last name
Doug
A topographic surname derived from the Scottish Gaelic word "dubh" meaning dark or black, referring to someone living near a dark stream or hill.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Doug. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Doug surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Doug in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Doug, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.0%. The next largest groups are Black (16.5%) and Hispanic (7.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Doug
The surname "DOUG" has its origins in Scotland, where it is believed to have first emerged in the 12th century. It is thought to be a variant of the Scottish Gaelic name "Dougal," which itself is derived from the Gaelic words "dubh" meaning "dark" and "gall" meaning "stranger" or "foreigner."
The earliest recorded instances of the name "DOUG" can be found in various medieval Scottish charters and records from the 13th and 14th centuries. One notable example is the mention of a "William Doug" in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of instruments of homage and fealty to King Edward I of England.
During the 15th and 16th centuries, the name "DOUG" became well-established in various regions of Scotland, particularly in the Lowlands and Borders areas. It is believed that the name may have originated in or around the village of Douglasdale, located in South Lanarkshire.
One of the most prominent historical figures associated with the surname "DOUG" is Sir James Douglas (c. 1286 - 1330), a Scottish knight and close companion of King Robert the Bruce. He was known as "The Good Sir James" and played a crucial role in the Scottish Wars of Independence against England.
Another notable individual with the surname "DOUG" was Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus (c. 1489 - 1557), who was a powerful Scottish nobleman and military leader during the 16th century. He was involved in conflicts against both England and the Scottish Crown.
In the 17th century, the name "DOUG" can be found associated with various Scottish families, including the Douglases of Glenbervie and the Douglases of Cavers. One prominent figure from this period was Sir Robert Douglas of Glenbervie (1594 - 1674), a Scottish judge and antiquarian.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, the surname "DOUG" spread beyond Scotland as Scottish emigrants and settlers carried the name to various parts of the world, including North America, Australia, and New Zealand. One notable figure from this era was David Douglas (1799 - 1834), a Scottish botanist and explorer who traveled extensively in western North America and contributed significantly to the study of flora and fauna in the region.
Throughout its history, the surname "DOUG" has been associated with various places and locations, reflecting the movement and settlement patterns of those who bore the name. These include Douglasdale in South Lanarkshire, as well as various other places in Scotland, England, and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Doug
Among Census respondents with the surname Doug, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.0%. The next largest groups are Black (16.5%) and Hispanic (7.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Doug bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Doug surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White66.0% · 68
- Black or African American16.5% · 17
- Hispanic or Latino7.8% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander6.8% · 7
- Two or more races2.9% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Doug
Doug appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-75 bearers (-42.1%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 62,143 places
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 3,052 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #95,091 | 178 | 0.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | -75 bearers (-42.1%) | Down 62,143 places |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Up 3,052 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Doug surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #157,234 | #154,182 | 1.9% |
| Count | 103 | 103 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 14.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Doug bearers went from 103 to 103 (+0.0% change). The surname moved up 3,052 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #154,182.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Doug
FAQ
Doug surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Doug?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Doug. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Doug?
Doug ranks #154,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 103 people with the surname Doug. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Doug.
Has Doug become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Doug went from 103 recorded bearers to 103. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Doug?
Among Census respondents with the surname Doug, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.0%. The next largest groups are Black (16.5%) and Hispanic (7.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Doug in the 2020 Census, accounting for 66.0% (68 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Doug appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (66.0%), Black (16.5%), Hispanic (7.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Doug (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Doug mean?
A topographic surname derived from the Scottish Gaelic word "dubh" meaning dark or black, referring to someone living near a dark stream or hill. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Doug (0.03 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Doug?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Doug at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.