Dictionary of Medieval Names
from European Sources

Duncan m. Old Irish donn 'brown, dun' + Old Irish cath 'battle'.

The name of a 7th C king of Dal Riata, an 8th C high king of Ireland, an 8th C Irish saint, a 10th C high king of Ireland, and two 11th C kings of Scotland.

In Ireland, the name was sometimes anglicized or Latinized Dionysius (cf. Dennis) or Donantus (cf. Donato).

Scotland
Latin
1040x1057 Duncani (gen) ESC V; 1070x1093 Duncano (abl) ibid. X; 1093x1097 Conchat (gen) ibid. XIII, Duncano (abl) ibid. XIII; 1094 Dunecani (gen) ibid. XII, Dunecanus (nom) ibid. XII; 1095 Doncani (gen) ibid. XV, Duncani (gen) ibid. XVII; a1177 Dunecanus (nom) CartNBer 3; a1200 Donecanus (nom) ibid. 1; 1376 Duncani (gen) morton-vol1 16; 1384 Duncani (gen) CartLevenax p. 7, Duncano (abl) ibid. p. 7, Duncanus (nom) ibid. p. 8; 1386 Duncano (dat) ibid. p. 8; 1387 Duncano (dat) ibid. p. 9, Duncanus (nom) ibid. p. 10; 1392 Duncani (gen) ibid. p. 11, Duncano (dat) ibid. p. 10, Duncanus (nom) ibid. p. 11; 1425 Duncani (gen) RMSRS-2 22
Cite as: J. Uckelman, S.L. Uckelman. "Duncan". In S.L. Uckelman, ed. The Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, Edition 2023, no. 1. http://dmnes.org/2023/1/name/Duncan.