Duncan Surname and Variants

Scottish and Irish (of Scottish origin): from the Gaelic personal name Donnchadh, composed of the elements donn ‘brown-haired man’ or ‘chieftain’ + a derivative of cath ‘battle’, Anglicized in Ireland as Donagh or Donaghue. Compare Donahue.
Irish (Sligo): used as an Anglicized equivalent of Gaelic Ó Duinnchinn ‘descendant of Donncheann’, a byname composed of the elements donn ‘brown-haired man’ or ‘chieftain’ + ceann ‘head’.

Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4

Definition: 1) Derivation of the Gaelic name Donnchadh which means "brown warrior," from the Gaelic "donn" meaning brown and "chadh" meaning warrior. 2) Powerful chieftain; strong-headed, from "dun" meaning fortress, and "ceann" meaning head or chief.

Surname Origin: Scottish

Alternate Surname Spellings: DUNCEAN, DUNKAN, DUNKIN, DUNKEN

References: Surname Meanings & Origins

Cottle, Basil. Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967.

Dorward, David. Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998.

Fucilla, Joseph. Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003.

Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. Great Britain: Oxford University Press, 1989.

Reaney, P.H. A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997.

Smith, Elsdon C. American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.