Douglas (given name)
Encyclopedia
Douglas (ˈdʌɡləs) is a Scottish and English masculine given name
which originated from the surname Douglas. Although today the name is almost exclusively given to boys, it was used as girls name in the 17th and 18th centuries, in the north of England. The Scottish surname Douglas was borne by one of the most powerful families of the Kingdom of Scotland
(the Earls of Douglas, Angus
, Morton
, Dukes of Hamilton
and others). It has sometimes been stated that the given name is connected with the given name Dougal
, although it is more likely derived from the surname
already mentioned. Linguistically, Douglas is derived from the Gaelic elements: dubh, meaning "dark, black"; and glas, meaning "stream" (also a derivative of glas, meaning "grey"). The surname Douglas is a habitational name, which could be derived from any of the many places so-named. While there are numerous places with this name in both Ireland
and Scotland, it is thought, in most cases, to refer to Douglas, South Lanarkshire
, which was once the stronghold of Clan Douglas. The Scottish Gaelic form of the given name is Dùbhghlas; the Irish language
form it is Dúghlas, and Dubhghlas, which are pronounced duːɣləs. The Hawaiian language
form of the given name is Koukakala, which is pronounced koukəˈkɐlə. The given name Douglas is sometimes shortened to Doug. Pet forms of the given name include: Dougie
, and Duggie.
Given name
A given name, in Western contexts often referred to as a first name, is a personal name that specifies and differentiates between members of a group of individuals, especially in a family, all of whose members usually share the same family name...
which originated from the surname Douglas. Although today the name is almost exclusively given to boys, it was used as girls name in the 17th and 18th centuries, in the north of England. The Scottish surname Douglas was borne by one of the most powerful families of the Kingdom of Scotland
Kingdom of Scotland
The Kingdom of Scotland was a Sovereign state in North-West Europe that existed from 843 until 1707. It occupied the northern third of the island of Great Britain and shared a land border to the south with the Kingdom of England...
(the Earls of Douglas, Angus
Earl of Angus
The Mormaer or Earl of Angus was the ruler of the medieval Scottish province of Angus. The title, in the Peerage of Scotland, is currently held by the Duke of Hamilton.-Mormaers:...
, Morton
Earl of Morton
The title Earl of Morton was created in the Peerage of Scotland in 1458 for James Douglas of Dalkeith. Along with it, the title Lord Aberdour was granted. This latter title is the courtesy title for the eldest son and heir to the Earl of Morton....
, Dukes of Hamilton
Dukes of Hamilton
The Dukes of Hamilton were a junior ice hockey team that represented Hamilton, Ontario in the Ontario Hockey League for two seasons from 1989 to 1991.-History:...
and others). It has sometimes been stated that the given name is connected with the given name Dougal
Dougal
Dougal or Doogal may refer to:*Dougal * DJ Dougal, a happy hardcore artist* Dougal, a dog in the English version of the television series The Magic Roundabout...
, although it is more likely derived from the surname
Surname
A surname is a name added to a given name and is part of a personal name. In many cases, a surname is a family name. Many dictionaries define "surname" as a synonym of "family name"...
already mentioned. Linguistically, Douglas is derived from the Gaelic elements: dubh, meaning "dark, black"; and glas, meaning "stream" (also a derivative of glas, meaning "grey"). The surname Douglas is a habitational name, which could be derived from any of the many places so-named. While there are numerous places with this name in both Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and Scotland, it is thought, in most cases, to refer to Douglas, South Lanarkshire
Douglas, South Lanarkshire
Douglas is a village in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is located on the south bank of the Douglas Water and on the A70 road that links Ayr, on the West coast of Scotland, to Edinburgh on the East, around 12 miles south west of Lanark. The placename is of Gaelic origin, derived from the Old Gaelic...
, which was once the stronghold of Clan Douglas. The Scottish Gaelic form of the given name is Dùbhghlas; the Irish language
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
form it is Dúghlas, and Dubhghlas, which are pronounced duːɣləs. The Hawaiian language
Hawaiian language
The Hawaiian language is a Polynesian language that takes its name from Hawaii, the largest island in the tropical North Pacific archipelago where it developed. Hawaiian, along with English, is an official language of the state of Hawaii...
form of the given name is Koukakala, which is pronounced koukəˈkɐlə. The given name Douglas is sometimes shortened to Doug. Pet forms of the given name include: Dougie
Dougie
Dougie is a shortened form of the names Douglas and Dougal.-People:*Dougie Brown , former Scottish cricketer*Dougie Donnelly , Scottish television broadcaster*Dougie Freedman , former Scottish professional football player...
, and Duggie.
Notable people named Douglas
- Douglas C. AagardDouglas C. AagardDouglas C. Aagard is an American politician from Utah. A Republican, he is a member of the Utah State House, representing the state's 15th house district in Kaysville. Aagard received his bachelor's degree from Brigham Young University.-References:...
, American politician - Douglas AbbottDouglas AbbottDouglas Charles Abbott, PC was a Canadian Member of Parliament and Cabinet Minister. He was born in Lennoxville, Quebec. A member of the Liberal Party of Canada, Abbott served as both Minister of National Defence and Minister of Finance...
, Canadian politician - Douglas AdamsDouglas AdamsDouglas Noel Adams was an English writer and dramatist. He is best known as the author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which started life in 1978 as a BBC radio comedy before developing into a "trilogy" of five books that sold over 15 million copies in his lifetime, a television...
, author - Douglas AlexanderDouglas AlexanderDouglas Garven Alexander is a British Labour Party politician, who is currently the Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in the shadow cabinet of Ed Miliband. He has held cabinet posts under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, including Secretary of State for Scotland and...
, British politician - Douglas A. AndersonDouglas A. AndersonDouglas Allen Anderson is an author and editor on the subjects of fantasy and medieval literature, specializing in textual analysis of the works of J. R. R...
, American author - Douglas ApplegateDouglas ApplegateDouglas "Doug" Applegate is a former member of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio. Applegate is a Democrat....
, American politician - Douglas BaderDouglas BaderGroup Captain Sir Douglas Robert Steuart Bader CBE, DSO & Bar, DFC & Bar, FRAeS, DL was a Royal Air Force fighter ace during the Second World War. He was credited with 20 aerial victories, four shared victories, six probables, one shared probable and 11 enemy aircraft damaged.Bader joined the...
, British flying ace - Douglas BarrDouglas BarrDouglas Barr is an American actor, writer, and director. He has starred in movies and on television.Douglas was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. His first TV series, during the 1980s, was When the Whistle Blows. Later on, his big role came in the ABC TV series The Fall Guy as Howie Munson from 1981–1986...
, American actor - Douglas BrinkleyDouglas BrinkleyDouglas Brinkley is an American author, professor of history at Rice University and a fellow at the James Baker Institute for Public Policy. Brinkley is the history commentator for CBS News and a contributing editor to the magazine Vanity Fair...
, American author - Douglas CostaDouglas CostaDouglas Costa de Souza , commonly known as Douglas Costa or simply Douglas, is a Brazilian footballer who plays for FC Shakhtar Donetsk.- Shakhtar Donetsk :...
, Brazilian footballer - Douglas CouplandDouglas CouplandDouglas Coupland is a Canadian novelist. His fiction is complemented by recognized works in design and visual art arising from his early formal training. His first novel, the 1991 international bestseller Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture, popularized terms such as McJob and...
, Canadian novelist - Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, 8th Duke of Hamilton, 18th c. Scottish peer
- Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, 14th Duke of HamiltonDouglas Douglas-Hamilton, 14th Duke of HamiltonAir Commodore Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, 14th Duke of Hamilton and 11th Duke of Brandon, KT, GCVO, AFC, PC, DL, FRCSE, FRGS, was a Scottish nobleman and pioneering aviator....
, pioneering aviator - Douglas FairbanksDouglas FairbanksDouglas Fairbanks, Sr. was an American actor, screenwriter, director and producer. He was best known for his swashbuckling roles in silent films such as The Thief of Bagdad, Robin Hood, and The Mark of Zorro....
, American actor - Douglas H. GinsburgDouglas H. GinsburgDouglas Howard Ginsburg is a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. He was appointed to this court in October 1986 by President Ronald Reagan. He served as its Chief Judge from July 16, 2001 until February 10, 2008...
, American judge - Douglas HamiltonDouglas HamiltonGeneral Douglas Hamilton was a British Indian Army officer, gazetted to the 21st Regiment of the Madras Native Infantry from 1837 to 1871. He was a well known surveyor of the early British hill stations in South India and a famous sportsman, shikari, big-game hunter and trophy collector. He was an...
, British General, surveyor and big-game hunter - Douglas A. HicksDouglas A. HicksDouglas A. Hicks is author of : Inequality and Christian Ethics , Religion and the Workplace , With God on All Sides: Leadership in a Devout and Diverse America and Money Enough: Everyday Practices for Living Faithfully in the Global Economy .He is Professor of Leadership Studies and Religion at...
, American author - Douglas MacArthurDouglas MacArthurGeneral of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
, American general - Doug McFarlandDoug McFarlandDouglas Dale McFarland is a college professor at Hamline University and is a Minnesota politician.-Biography and Titles:...
, American politician - Douglas Albert MunroDouglas Albert Munro-External links:...
, American armed forces member - Doug NordquistDoug NordquistDouglas Nordquist is a retired male high jumper from the United States, who competed at the 1984 Summer Olympics where he ended up in fifth place with a jump of 2.29 metres. He was TAC high jump champion in 1986 and 1988, and placed second at the 1984 Olympic Trials...
, American high jumper - Douglas Robb (musician), frontman of American band Hoobastank
- Douglas Rodríguez (boxer)Douglas Rodríguez (boxer)Douglas Rodríguez is a retired amateur boxer from Cuba, who represented his native country in the Men's Flyweight category at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, West Germany....
, Cuban boxer - Douglas A. RossDouglas A. RossDouglas A. Ross, Ph.D is a Canadian political scientist specializing in international relations, specifically Canadian foreign and defense policies, nuclear strategy, and arms control. He is currently Professor of Political Science at Simon Fraser University...
, American political scientist - Douglas SimpsonDouglas SimpsonDouglas Simpson is a field hockey player from Scotland.-References:*...
, Scottish field hockey forward - Maicon Douglas Sisenando, Brazilian international footballer
- Douglas Franco TeixeiraDouglas Franco TeixeiraDouglas Franco Teixeira , simply known as Douglas, is a Brazilian-born Dutch professional footballer who currently plays for FC Twente in the Netherlands....
, Brazilian-Dutch footballer