Find out how popular the last name Douglas is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Douglas.

Douglas, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Douglas surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Douglas in America

Douglas is the 311th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Douglas surname appeared 101,458 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 34 people would have the surname Douglas.

We can also compare 2010 data for Douglas to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Douglas

The surname Douglas is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic words 'dubh' meaning 'dark' and 'glas' meaning 'green' or 'stream'. It is believed to have originated in the 12th century in the area of Douglas Water in Lanarkshire, Scotland.

The name Douglas is first recorded in the late 12th century, with one of the earliest known references being to a William de Douglas in the Ragman Rolls of 1296. These rolls were a collection of instruments recording the submission of Scottish nobles and landowners to Edward I of England.

The Douglas family became one of the most powerful and influential families in Scotland during the Middle Ages. Notable members include Sir James Douglas, a Scottish knight and companion of Robert the Bruce, who lived from around 1286 to 1330. He was known for carrying the heart of Robert the Bruce on a crusade to the Holy Land after the king's death.

Another prominent figure was Archibald Douglas, Earl of Douglas, who lived from around 1369 to 1424. He was a Scottish nobleman and military leader who played a significant role in the conflict between Scotland and England during the late 14th and early 15th centuries.

In the 16th century, the Douglas family split into two main branches, the Red Douglases and the Black Douglases, named after the color of their hair. A notable member from this period was James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton, who lived from 1516 to 1581. He was a Scottish nobleman and regent of Scotland during the minority of King James VI.

The name Douglas also has connections to place names in Scotland, such as the town of Douglas in South Lanarkshire and the Douglas Water, a river that flows through the region. The earliest recorded spelling of the place name is 'Douglasdale' in the 12th century.

Other notable individuals with the surname Douglas throughout history include Thomas Douglas, 5th Earl of Selkirk, a Scottish philanthropist and founder of the Red River Colony in Canada, who lived from 1771 to 1820, and Stephen A. Douglas, an American politician and lawyer who lived from 1813 to 1861 and was a prominent figure in the debates over slavery and the lead-up to the American Civil War.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Douglas

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Douglas.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Douglas was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Douglas has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Douglas was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Douglas, please contact us.

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