Type Surname (from location)
Usage Scottish
Pronounced Pron. DUG-ləs(English)  [key·IPA]

Meaning & History

From the name of a town in Lanarkshire, itself named after a tributary of the River Clyde called the Douglas Water, derived from Gaelic dubh "dark" and glais "water, river" (an archaic word related to glas "grey, green"). This was a Scottish Lowland clan, the leaders of which were powerful earls in the medieval period.

Related Names

VariantsDouglass(Scottish) Dùbhghlas(Scottish Gaelic)
Given Name DescendantDouglas(Scottish)

Categories

Entry updated January 21, 2022