Douglas, occasionally spelt Douglass, is a Scottish surname. It is thought to derive from the Scottish Gaelic dubh glas, meaning "black stream". There are numerous places in Scotland from which the surname is derived. The surname has developed into the given name Douglas. Douglas is a habitational name, which could be derived from any of the many places so-named. While there are numerous places with this name in Scotland, it is thought, in most cases, to refer to Douglas, South Lanarkshire, the location of Douglas Castle, the chief stronghold of the Lords of Douglas. which cited for the surname "Douglas". The Scottish Gaelic form of the given name is ; the Irish-language forms are and Dubhghlas, which are pronounced . According to George Fraser Black, in southern Argyllshire the surname is an Anglicised form of the surnames MacLucas, MacLugash (which are derived from the Gaelic Mac Lùcais).
Arts
Visual arts Aaron Douglas (artist) (1900–1979), American artist Andrew Douglas (born 1952), British photographer/director Haldane Douglas (1892–1980), American art director Jessie O. Douglas (1856-19??), British artist John Douglas (English architect) (1830–1911), English architect John Douglas (Scottish architect) (died 1778) Malcolm Douglas (illustrator) (1954–2009), British illustrator Mel Douglas (born 1978), Australian glass artist Sholto Johnstone Douglas (1871–1958), Scottish artist known as Sholto Douglas or Robert Sholto Johnstone Douglas Stan Douglas (born 1960), Canadian artist Stuart Douglas (born 1962), British photographer/director
Literature Lord Alfred Douglas (1870–1945), British poet Alice May Douglas (1865–1943), American poet, author, editor Amanda Minnie Douglas (1831–1916), American writer of children's stories Carole Nelson Douglas (1944–2021), American writer Colin Douglas (novelist) (born 1945), pseudonym of Colin Thomas Currie, Scottish novelist David John Douglass, British political activist and writer Ellen Douglas (1921–2012), born Josephine Ayres Haxton, American author Gavin Douglas (1474–1522), Scottish poet and bishop Geoffrey Douglas (born 1944), American author and journalist Helen Douglas Irvine (1880–1947), Scottish novelist, historian and translator Jack Douglas (writer) (1908–1989), American comedy writer J. Yellowlees Douglas, American author of hypertext fiction John Douglas (bishop of Salisbury) (1721–1807), Scottish man of letters and Anglican bishop John E. Douglas (born 1945), American criminal profiler and writer Keith Douglas (1920–1944), English poet of World War II Lawrence Douglas (born 1959), American legal scholar and author Marian Douglas (1842–1913), American poet and short story writer Marjory Stoneman Douglas (1890–1998), American conservationist and writer Max Douglas (born 1970), Canadian comic book creator Michael Douglas (pen name Michael Crichton), American author Myra Douglas (1844–?), American writer, poet Norman Douglas (1868–1952), British writer Orville Lloyd Douglas (born 1976), Canadian essayist, poet, and writer Mark Douglas-Home (born 1951), Scottish editor-in-chief of The Herald in Glasgow, Scotland William Douglas-Home (1912–1992), British playwright
Music
Alan Douglas (record producer), American record producer Ashanti (entertainer) (Ashanti Shequoiya Douglas) (born 1980), American R&B singer Barry Douglas (pianist) (born 1960), Northern Irish classical pianist and conductor Carl Douglas (born 1942), Jamaican-born singer Carol Douglas (born 1948), American singer Charles Douglass (1910–2003), American sound engineer Chip Douglas (Douglas Farthing Hatlelid, born 1942), American songwriter, musician, and record producer Chris Douglas (musician) (born 1974), American musician Clementine Douglas (born 1998), an American singer-songwriter Craig Douglas (1941–2026), English singer Dave Douglas (drummer), American drummer Dave Douglas (trumpeter) (born 1963), American jazz composer and trumpeter Jack Douglas (music producer) (1945–2026), American record producer Jahméne Douglas, English singer, contestant of The X Factor (UK), series 9 James Douglas (composer) (1932–2022), Scottish composer Jenny Douglas (born 1991), Scottish singer and actress Jerry Douglas (born 1955), American country music and bluegrass musician Jimmy Douglass, American record producer Johnny Douglas (conductor) (1920–2003), English composer, musical director and conductor K. C. Douglas (1913–1975), American blues musician Lee Douglas (born 1975), English singer Roy Douglas (1907–2015), British composer, pianist and arranger Steve Douglas (saxophonist) (1938–1993), American saxophonist, flautist and clarinetist Tom Douglas (songwriter), American country music songwriter Tony Douglas (singer) (1929–2013), American country music singer
Stage, screen, and radio
Aaron Douglas (actor) (born 1971), Canadian actor Angela Douglas (born Angela McDonagh in 1940), English actress Bill Douglas (1934–1991), Scottish film director Cameron Douglas (born 1978), American actor and drug dealer Christopher Douglas (born c. 1955), United Kingdom actor and writer Clare Douglas, British film editor Colin Douglas (actor) (1912–1991), British stage and television actor D. C. Douglas (born 1966), American actor and director Don Douglas (actor) (1905–1945), Scottish film actor Donald Douglas (Scottish actor) (born 1933), British actor Donna Douglas (1933–2015), American actress Eric Douglas (1958–2004), American actor, son of Kirk Douglas Gordon Douglas (director) (1907–1993), American actor and director Hal Douglas (1924–2014), American voice actor Hazel Douglas, British actress Illeana Douglas (born 1965), American actress Jack Douglas (actor) (1927–2008), English actor James Douglas (actor) (1929–2016), American soap opera actor Jason Douglas, American stage, film, and voice actor Jeff Douglas (born 1971), Canadian actor and broadcaster Joanna Douglas (born 1983), Canadian actress Joel Douglas (born January 23, 1947), American movie producer, son of Kirk Douglas and Diana Dill Kirk Douglas (1916–2020), American actor, producer, director, and author Kyan Douglas (born 1970), American cosmetologist Malcolm Douglas (1941–2010), Australian wildlife documentary film maker, and crocodile hunter. Meghan Douglas (born 1970), American fashion model Melvyn Douglas (1901–1981), American actor Michael Douglas (born 1944), American actor and producer, son of Kirk Douglas and Diana Dill Michael Keaton, born Michael John Douglas (born 1951), American actor Mike Douglas (1925–2006), American entertainer and former TV talk-show host Paul Douglas (actor) (1907–1959), American actor Paul Douglas (cameraman) (1958–2006), British CBS News cameraman Pavel Douglas (born 1951), Polish-born, British-based actor Peter Douglas (born 1955), American television and film producer, son of Kirk Douglas Robert Douglas (actor) (1909–1999), stage and film actor, television director and producer Róbert Ingi Douglas (born 1973), Icelandic film director Saba Douglas-Hamilton (born 1970), television presenter and naturalist Sam Douglas (born 1957), British/American film, stage and video game actor Sarah Douglas (actress) (born 1952), English actress Sharon Douglas (1920–2016), American film and radio actress Shirley Douglas (1934–2020), Canadian actress, former wife of Donald Sutherland, mother of Kiefer Sutherland Steve Douglas (sportscaster), Canadian sportscaster Suzzanne Douglas (1957–2021), American film, television and stage actress Tim Douglas, Canadian actor who was a cast member on the Canadian sketch comedy TV series You Can't Do That on Television Warren Douglas (1911–1997), born Warren Douglas Wandberg was an American actor, novelist, lyricist and screenwriter Vivien Endicott-Douglas (born 1990), Canadian actress Martha Howe-Douglas, British actress
Business Donald Wills Douglas Sr. (1892–1981), American-born Scottish businessman, founder of Douglas Aircraft Donald Wills Douglas Jr. (1917–2004), American businessman, son of Donald Wills Douglas Sr. Gustaf Douglas (born 1938), Swedish businessman, vice chairman and largest single shareholder in security firm Securitas AB James Douglas (businessman) (1837–1918), Canadian mining engineer and businessman James Douglas Jr. (1868–1949), Canadian-born American businessman and mining executive in Canada, US and Mexico Louis Douglas (1889–1939), American dancer, choreographer, and music businessman Raymond E. Douglas (1948–2007), executive for The New York Times Walter Donald Douglas (1861–1912), American businessman and Titanic casualty
Law Andrew Grant Douglas (1932–2021), Republican justice of the Ohio Supreme Court Byrd Douglas (1894–1965), American college baseball and football coach as well as a judge Charles Gywnne "Chuck" Douglas III (born 1942), trial lawyer and a former United States Representative John Brown Douglas (c. 1855 – 1935), British professor of Roman law Lori Douglas, Manitoba judge Robert Dick Douglas (1875–1960), American lawyer and son of Robert M. Douglas Robert M. Douglas (1849–1917), American judge, North Carolina Supreme Court justice Samuel Douglas (1781–1833), Pennsylvania lawyer and state attorney general Wallace B. Douglas (1852–1930), American judge, Minnesota Supreme Court justice and Minnesota Attorney General William O. Douglas (1898–1980), American associate justice of the Supreme Court
Military Captain Andrew Snape Douglas (1761–1797), Scottish sea captain in the Royal Navy Sir Archibald Lucius Douglas (1842–1913), Canadian officer of the British Navy Lt. Col. Campbell Mellis Douglas (1840–1909), Canadian recipient of the Victoria Cross Rear-Admiral Sir Charles Douglas, 1st Baronet of Carr, officer in the Royal Navy General Sir Charles W. H. Douglas (1850–1914), Chief of the Imperial General Staff (CIGS) Henry Kyd Douglas (1838–1903), Confederate States Army officer Brigadier Douglas Campbell Douglas (1854–1927), 217th Infantry Brigade General Sir Howard Douglas (1776–1861), British general and colonial administrator Sir James Douglas, Lord of Douglas (James 'the Good', 1286–1330), Scottish soldier and knight in the Scottish wars of independence Sir James Douglas, 1st Baronet (1703–1787), Commodore for Newfoundland and Labrador James H. Douglas Jr. (1899–1988), United States Secretary of the Air Force and United States Deputy Secretary of Defense James Postell Douglas: Confederate Captain of the First Texas Artillery Battery, farmer, founder of the Tyler Tap Railroad, and president of the Texas and Gulf Short Line Railroad Lord James Douglas (1617–1645), son of the 1st Marquess of Douglas Sir John Douglas (died 1814), Royal Marine officer General Sir John Douglas of Glenfinart (1817–1888), Commander of the troops in the North British District Admiral John Erskine Douglas (c. 1758 – 1847), British naval officer Admiral John Leigh Douglas (1741–1810), British naval officer Major-General John Primrose Douglas (1908–1975), Honorary Surgeon to the Queen Lieutenant-General Sir Kenneth MacKenzie Douglas, 1st Baronet of Glenbervie (1754–1833), born Kenneth MacKenzie Matthew Douglas, 7th Laird of Mains (c. 1519 – after 1571), Scottish soldier Lt. Col. Montagu William Douglas (1863–1957), British soldier and colonial administrator in India Lt. General Sir Neil Douglas (1779/80–1853) Vice-Admiral Sir Percy Douglas (1876–1939), British naval officer, Hydrographer of the Navy Admiral Peter John Douglas (1787–1858), British naval officer Admiral Robert Gordon Douglas (1829–1910), British Royal Navy officer, Admiral Superintendent of Malta Dockyard in 1887. Field Marshal Robert Douglas (1727–1809), Scottish-born career soldier and field marshal of the Netherlands Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sholto Douglas, 1st Baron Douglas of Kirtleside (1893–1969), British air force officer Brigadier General Sir Thomas Monteath Douglas (1788–1868), army officer in the East India Company Major-General Sir William Douglas KCMG, CB, DSO (13 August 1858 – 1920)