Reagan as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Reagan

What is the meaning of the name Reagan ?

The baby name Reagan is a Unisex name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced RAY-gən,/ˈreɪɡən/.

Reagan is Irish in Origin.

Reagan is an Anglicized Irish surname turned given name, from Ó Riagáin/Ó Ríogáin, meaning “descendant of Riagán.” The personal name Riagán likely combines rí “king” with the diminutive suffix -án, yielding the sense “little king” or “kingly.” Some scholars connect it instead to riag/riagach, suggesting shades of “impulsive” or “fierce,” so the exact nuance is debated.

Historically borne by several medieval Leinster and Meath families, the surname later appeared in forms such as O’Regan and Regan. As a given name in English, Reagan became genuinely unisex during the 20th century, rising sharply in the United States after President Ronald Reagan brought the surname to prominence; usage for girls surged through the 1990s and 2000s. Shakespeare preserves the older spelling in the character Regan from King Lear. Common variants and spellings include Regan, Raegan, Ragan, and Reaghan; Irish Riagán survives as a masculine form. Usual North American pronunciation is RAY-gən.