Reagan
An Irish surname usually understood as a form of Ó Riagáin, linked to the idea of a “little king” or ruler.
The #2,207 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 18,722 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Reagan is generally treated as an Anglicized form of an Irish surname such as Ó Riagáin or Ó Riadagáin, built on an old Gaelic personal name associated with rule or kingship. The historical sense is often explained as something like “descendant of Riagán,” with the personal name itself connected to a root meaning ruler or king. Older etymological writers also linked Reagan with related Irish forms such as Regan and Ragan, though the exact development can vary by family line and spelling.
History
The name is strongly associated with Ireland and was carried into English through Anglicization of Irish surnames. In modern usage, Reagan is a well-known Irish-American surname, and several spellings have existed side by side for centuries. Because English spelling often shifted fluidly in Irish records, Reagan may represent more than one related Gaelic source in different families.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The surname Reagan is etymologically related to names built on Gaelic words for rule or kingship, which is why older sources gloss it with royal language.
From the historical record
“Regan. Rig, king ; an for tan, possessions, country. A kingdom. Reagan, Ragan, and, perhaps, Rogan, of like import. Reilly. Ragallac, from riagaii, a rule ; ac, an agent. A ruler; a king. Reilley, Reily, Rielly, Riley, cognate forms.”
— Family Names from the Irish, Anglo-Saxon, Anglo-Norman and Scotch