Degan
An Old Irish surname meaning "from Déisi", an ancient Irish sept.
Name Census estimates that about 534 living Americans carry the first name Degan. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Degan today is around 16 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Degan births was 2008 (47 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Degan. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
534
~ 1 in 641,862 Americans
Peak year
2008
47 babies that year
Average age
16
years old
2023 SSA rank
#7,849
Tracked since 1999
Popularity
Degan: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Degan from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 278 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Degan by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Degan during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Degans live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. California, Pennsylvania, Utah recorded the most babies named Degan, while Washington, Utah, Pennsylvania recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 15 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Degan
The name Degan has its roots in the ancient Celtic culture, originating from the Gaelic word "deagán" which means "little flame" or "small fire." This name was prevalent among the ancient Celtic tribes that inhabited parts of modern-day Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.
While the exact origin of the name is uncertain, it is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, possibly as early as the 6th or 7th century AD. The name's association with fire and light may have been symbolic of the Celtic reverence for nature and the elements.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Degan can be found in the Irish annals, where a monk named Degan of Innis-Cain is mentioned in the 7th century. This Degan was known for his piety and was revered as a saint in the early Irish Christian tradition.
Another notable figure bearing the name Degan was a Welsh prince who lived in the 9th century. Prince Degan ap Cadell was a ruler of the ancient kingdom of Dyfed and played a significant role in the power struggles between the Welsh kingdoms and the Saxons during that turbulent period.
In the 12th century, a Scottish nobleman named Degan de Leithin was a prominent figure in the court of King David I of Scotland. He was granted lands in the Scottish Highlands for his loyal service and is considered one of the ancestors of several notable Scottish clans.
During the Middle Ages, the name Degan also gained recognition in continental Europe, particularly in France and Germany. Degan de Montfort, a French knight who participated in the Third Crusade in the late 12th century, was a notable bearer of the name.
In later centuries, the name Degan became less common, but it continued to be used sporadically throughout various regions. One notable example is Degan O'Callaghan, an Irish soldier who fought in the Irish Confederate Wars of the 17th century, becoming a respected military leader during that turbulent period.
These historical references showcase the rich heritage and diverse cultural backgrounds associated with the name Degan, which has its roots in the ancient Celtic world but has also been embraced by various cultures throughout the centuries.
People
Degan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Degan as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with D
Other first names starting with D with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Degan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Degan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 534 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Degan going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 641,862 US residents.
Is Degan a common name?
We classify Degan as "Very Rare". It ranks above 85.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 539 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Degan most popular?
The single biggest year for Degan was 2008, when 47 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Degan is about 16 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Degan a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Degan in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.