Duncan (given name)
 Depiction of Duncan I of Scotland | |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdʌŋˈkən/ |
|---|---|
| Gender | Male |
| Origin | |
| Meaning | chief |
| Region of origin | Ireland |
| Other names | |
| Nickname(s) | Dunc |
| Related names | Donnchadh, Donncha, Donagh |
| given name of Scottish origin. | |
Duncan is an
Dúnchad mac Dubáin, who was possibly the grandfather of Fiannamail ua Dúnchado-Fiannamail O'Dúnchado. The final letter n in the Anglicised Duncan seems to be a result of confusion in the Latin form of the name—Duncanus—with the Gaelic word ceann, meaning "head".[1] One opinion is that the Gaelic Donnchadh is composed of the elements donn, meaning "dark or dark-haired man" or "chieftain"; and cath, meaning "battle", together meaning "dark-haired or dark warrior".[2] Another opinion is that the Gaelic Donnchadh is composed of the elements donn, meaning "brown"; and chadh, meaning "chief" or "noble".[1]
Variations
| Old Irish | Modern Irish
|
Hiberno-English | Scottish Gaelic | Scottish English |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donnchadh | Donncha | Donagh | Donnchadh | Duncan |
Royalty
- Duncan I of Scotland (died 1040), king of Alba, the inspiration for King Duncan in Shakespeare's play Macbeth
- Duncan II of Scotland (1060–1094) king of Scots
Sports
- Duncan Atwood (born 1955), American javelin thrower
- Duncan Clark (athlete) (1915–2003), Scottish hammer thrower
- Duncan Edwards (1936–1958), English footballer
- Duncan Ferguson (born 1971), Scottish footballer
- Duncan Goodhew, Olympic swimmer for Great Britain
- Duncan Keith, Canadian ice hockey player
- Duncan Kibet (born 1978), Kenyan long-distance runner
- Duncan Legere (born 1989), Canadian fencer
- Duncan Lindsay (1902–1972), Scottish footballer
- Duncan McClure, (1913–1991), Scottish footballer
- Duncan Ochieng, (born 1978), Kenyan footballer
- Duncan Reid (born 1989), Hong Kong basketball player
- Duncan Robinson (basketball), (born 1994), American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat
- Duncan Weir (born 1991), Scottish rugby union player
Theatre and movies
- Duncan Brennan, American actor
- Duncan Jones, British-American movie director and writer of Moon and Warcraft
- Duncan Lamont, Scottish actor
- Duncan Pflaster (born 1973), American playwright and actor
- Duncan Regehr, Canadian stage, film and television actor
Literature
- Duncan Campbell Scott (1862-1947), Canadian poet
Music
- Duncan Coutts (born 1969), Canadian bassist for Our Lady Peace
- Duncan James (born 1978), British singer
- Duncan Lamont, British jazz saxophone player and composer
- Duncan Laurence (born 1994), Dutch singer
- Duncan Sheik, American singer
Politics
- Duncan Baird, American politician
- Duncan Hunter, American politician
- Duncan D. Hunter, American politician
Science
- Duncan A. MacInnes, American chemist
Journalism
- Duncan McCue, Canadian journalist
- Duncan Garner, New Zealand journalist
Business
- Duncan Bannatyne, Scottish entrepreneur
- Duncan Hines, American entrepreneur
- Duncan Phyfe (originally Duncan Fife, 1770–1854), Scottish-born American cabinetmaker
Fictional characters
- Duncan, a character in the Total Drama series
- Duncan Quagmire, a character in the A Series of Unfortunate Events series by Lemony Snicket
- Duncan, a character in Thomas and Friends
- Duncan Dhu, character of the book Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson inspiring the name of the Spanish band
- Duncan Douglas, a character in Freakazoid!
- Duncan Idaho, a character in the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert
- King Duncan, a character in the William Shakespeare play Macbeth, based on Duncan I of Scotland
- Duncan MacLeod, a character in Highlander: The Series
- Ser Duncan the Tall, a character in Tales of Dunk and Egg, a series of novellas written by George R. R. Martin, set in the same universe as A Song of Ice and Fire
See also
References
- ^ ISBN 978-0-19-861060-1.
- ^ "Duncan Name Meaning and History". Ancestry.com. Retrieved 9 August 2009. For the etymology of the surname Duncan this web page cites: Dictionary of American Family Names.
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