Reagan

About Reagan

Reagan is an Irish surname used as a given name for both sexes. It comes from Ó Riagáin, descendant of Riagán; the older personal name probably connects with the Irish word for king. Ronald Reagan gives the spelling a powerful presidential association, while modern American first-name use has been especially frequent for girls.

Meaning and surname history

Riagán developed from an older Irish form, probably combining rí, king, with a diminutive ending. That makes little king a possible interpretation of the underlying personal name, while the surname itself identifies descent from someone called Riagán.

Reagan and Regan are related English spellings of the surname. Raegan is another modern given-name form. The usual English pronunciation is RAY-gun, with stress on the first syllable and a hard g.

The name has two syllables and a reduced final vowel. Its modern use belongs to the broader American tradition of turning family names into first names, but its Irish background predates that development.

Ronald Reagan before the presidency

Ronald Reagan worked as a radio sports announcer before a 1937 screen test led to a Warner Brothers contract. His film career included Kings Row and Knute Rockne, All American, placing the surname before a large audience long before his presidential campaigns.

He later served as president of the Screen Actors Guild and became a television host. His political career brought another change of setting: he won the California governorship in 1966 and was reelected in 1970.

The surname consequently acquired associations with entertainment and state politics before entering the most prominent phase of its national history.

A presidential surname

Reagan became the fortieth president of the United States, taking office in January 1981 and serving until January 1989. His two terms made the surname one of the most recognizable political names of the late twentieth century.

In 1988 he signed legislation providing compensation to Japanese Americans interned during the Second World War. Later that year he signed the Fair Housing Amendments Act. These measures belong to the final full year of his presidency.

These events give Reagan a specific historical association when encountered as a first name. They are part of the spelling's public history, alongside the much older Irish surname and the separate choices made by families using it for children.

American popularity

Reagan reached its strongest United States girls' ranking in 2012, at #97. Its largest annual female count was 3,097 in 2016. It ranked #248 in 2025, with 1,244 girls, following substantial growth from #932 in 1980.

For boys, the strongest ranking and annual count came in 2004, at #596, with 366 births. Ninety-eight boys received it in 2025. Both sexes appear in the American record, with a considerably larger female wave during the twenty-first century.

How popular is Reagan?

In 2025, Reagan ranked #248 among girls in the United States, with 1,244 recorded uses. The U.S. birth records first list this spelling for girls in 1956; its largest annual count was 3,097 in 2016. Rankings count each spelling separately. They describe national use, so local familiarity can differ. The popularity chart shows whether the name has remained common, returned after a quieter period, or risen recently.