Dark water
Derived from the Gaelic elements 'dubh', meaning dark, and 'glais', meaning water or stream. It originally referred to a specific river in Scotland and became a powerful surname for one of the most prominent noble clans in Scottish history. While the single-S spelling is more common as a first name, the double-S version is strongly associated with the abolitionist Frederick Douglass.
Less common today
Douglass isn't in the latest US Top 1000. It last peaked at #1,503 in 1990.
US births per 5-year period, 1990–present (SSA data).
Abolitionist, orator, and statesman who escaped slavery
Nobel Prize-winning economist
Prolific Canadian-American character actor
American novelist and playwright
