Duane
Duane was the 2578th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 51 babies. Its best year was 1933, when it ranked 102nd; the most babies were born in 1959 (2,965). Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,101 places. More babies were named Duane in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Dwayne) variant of Duane; "dark" · Irish
- Rank in 2025
- #2,578 boys, down 698 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 51boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19592,965 babies
- Total since 1880
- 116,456babies recorded
What does the name Duane mean?
Duane is a spelling of Dwayne, pronounced the same way, so it shares Dwayne's meaning and origin.
Dwayne is a spelling of Duane, an English form of the Irish Dubhán, a personal name from dubh, "black, dark", with a small-making ending. It also comes through the surname Ó Dubháin, "descendant of Dubhán". Wikipedia mentions an early Irish saint Dubhán. Spelled Duane, Dwayne or Dewayne, the name became popular in the US in the mid-20th century.
dubh (Irish, “black, dark”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Duane, Dewayne, Dwain.
See also: Irish names, names that mean a color.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Dwayne', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Duane', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wikipedia, 'Dwayne', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
Duane popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 1,014 since 1914.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,578 | 51 |
| 2020 | #1,880 | 79 |
| 2010 | #1,333 | 128 |
| 2000 | #861 | 185 |
| 1990 | #521 | 357 |
| 1980 | #289 | 720 |
| 1970 | #163 | 1,772 |
| 1960 | #127 | 2,951 |
| 1950 | #137 | 1,963 |
| 1940 | #134 | 1,388 |
| 1930 | #120 | 1,520 |
| 1920 | #257 | 455 |
| 1910 | #558 | 26 |
| 1900 | #1,204 | 6 |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Duane, counting every spelling?
Duane is a spelling of Dwayne, a name family that ranked #1,177 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #2,578 for Duane on its own. Together these spellings went to 160 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dwayne | 109 | #1,565 | 696 |
| Duane | 51 | #2,578 | 345 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Duane?
51 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Duane (0.01 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Duane born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 165 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Duane.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Duane?
About 66,200 people born in the US named Duane are alive today, with a median age of 63; half are between 53 and 71. That makes Duane a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Duane by state
How common Duane was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Ohio (2.6×). In 45 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Duane: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Duane, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Duane
What does Duane mean?
Duane is a spelling of Dwayne, which means “variant of Duane; "dark"” (Irish origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Duane?
Duane was the 2578th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 51 babies. Its best year was 1933, when it ranked 102nd; the most babies were born in 1959 (2,965). Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,101 places. More babies were named Duane in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Is Duane a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Duane in the US.
Where is Duane most popular?
In 2021–2025, Duane was most common in Ohio (0.11 per 1,000 boys), followed by Missouri and Pennsylvania.