Reagan
RAY-guhn
The name Reagan originates as an anglicization of the Irish surname Ó Ríagáin, meaning “descendant of Ríagán.” The personal name Ríagán is a diminutive built from the Old Irish rí, meaning “king,” producing the approximate sense of “little king” or
“impulsive 1.” The same rí root traces back to the Proto-Indo-European *h₃rēǵs, from which Latin rex and Sanskrit rājā also descend, placing the name within 1 of the most widely distributed royal word families in Indo-European languages.
The O’Regan family was historically associated with the Four Tribes of Tara, the group of dynasties claiming descent from the kings of Meath. One branch settled in County Cork during the medieval period, while another remained in the Irish midlands.
What the name Reagan means
The surname was recorded in Anglo-Norman documents from the 13th century onward, with spellings including O’Regan, Regan, and Reagan stabilizing by the early modern era.
Shakespeare introduced the name to English literature in King Lear, first performed around 1606, where Regan is the second of Lear’s 3 daughters.
Though the Shakespearean character is famously treacherous, the literary association did little to deter later use of the name, which remained primarily a surname until the late 20th century.
The 40th President of the United States, Ronald Reagan (1911-2004), elevated the surname to international prominence during his 2 terms in office from 1981 to 1989.
According to U.S. Social Security Administration records, Reagan first entered the top 1000 for girls in 1976 and for boys in 1979.
Following the presidency it climbed steadily, and by the early 2020s it ranked within the top 100 for girls, making it 1 of the most successful surname-to-given-name transitions of the modern era.
The name is particularly popular in the American South and Midwest, and is frequently spelled Regan or Raegan as alternatives.
US popularity over time
Numerology and symbolism
Based on Pythagorean numerology — a traditional system linking name letters to numbers. Presented for cultural interest.
Famous people named Reagan
Reagan - similar names
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