Holding steady.
Popularity of Dugan since 1914
Babies named Dugan per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1910s | 10 |
| 1920s | 0 |
| 1930s | 0 |
| 1940s | 5 |
| 1950s | 12 |
| 1960s | 9 |
| 1970s | 57 |
| 1980s | 91 |
| 1990s | 129 |
| 2000s | 118 |
| 2010s | 75 |
| 2020s | 7 |
Meaning & origin
Dugan is a rare given name derived from an Irish surname. It first appeared in U.S. birth records in 1914, but has never ranked among the top baby names. Its peak usage year was 1998, when a handful of parents chose it. The name has remained extremely uncommon, with fewer than 1 in every 1 million babies receiving it in recent years (based on 1-in-N data). Despite being a stable presence in the name landscape, its usage is so low that it does not appear in any top state lists. The name carries a distinctly Irish heritage, linked to the Ó Dubhagáin clan of County Cork. Dugan may appeal to families seeking a highly distinctive name with deep Celtic roots.
Dugan is an anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Dubhagáin. The root dubh means 'black' or 'dark' in Gaelic, and the suffix -án forms a diminutive, so the original personal name Dubhagán may have meant 'little dark one'. The surname was historically concentrated in County Cork, Ireland. As a given name, Dugan is very rare and may have been adopted from the surname.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Duke, Dug
Variants: Duggan
Sibling names for Dugan
Names that share Dugan's style, for a brother or sister.
