Douglas (given name) explained

Douglas
Gender:Male
Meaning:Dark stream
Region:South Lanarkshire, Scotland
Origin:Scottish Gaelic
Related Names:Doug; Dougalaso; Dougie; Douglas (surname); Duggie, Dúghlas; Dubhghlas; Duggie; Dùbhghlas; Koukakala

Douglas is a masculine given name which originated from the surname Douglas. Although today the name is almost exclusively given to boys, it was used as a girl's name in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in the north of England.[1] 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 "green").[2] 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.[3]

The Scottish Gaelic form of the given name is Gaelic; Scottish Gaelic: Dùghlas in Gaelic; Scottish Gaelic pronounced as /ˈt̪uːl̪ˠəs̪/;[4] the Irish language forms are Irish: Dúghlas and Dubhghlas, which are pronounced in Irish pronounced as /ˈd̪ˠuːɣlˠəsˠ/. The Hawaiian language form of the given name is Hawaiian: Koukalaka, which is pronounced pronounced as /haw/; a variant form of this name is Dougalasa. The given name Doug is a common short form variant of Douglas. Pet forms of the given name include Dougie[5] and Duggie. In Scotland, while spelled Dougie like the above, there is a distinct Scottish pronunciation of "Doogie".

Douglas G Pons, Mayor of Williamsburg, VA USA (current),

Notable people named Douglas

See also

Notes and References

  1. Hanks, Patrick
  2. Web site: Douglas Name Meaning . Ancestry.com.
  3. Web site: Learn about the family history of your surname . . 6 April 2010. which cited Book: Dictionary of American Family Names . . 0-19-508137-4 . for the surname "Douglas".
  4. Web site: Mac an Tàilleir, Iain . Ainmean Pearsanta . . . 2017-04-24 . 2011-07-17 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110717141309/http://www2.smo.uhi.ac.uk/gaidhlig/faclair/cuspair/Ainmean_pearsanta.docx . dead .
  5. Web site: Learn about the family history of your surname . . 6 April 2010. which cited Book: A Dictionary of First Names . 1996 . . 0-19-280050-7 . for the given name "Douglas".

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