Reaghan
An Irish variant of the Spanish name Regan, meaning "little royal" or "little king".
Name Census estimates that about 1,091 living Americans carry the first name Reaghan. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Reaghan today is around 17 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Reaghan births was 2008 (71 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Reaghan. 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.
Key insights
- • Reaghan is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 17 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
1.1K
~ 1 in 314,165 Americans
Peak year
2008
71 babies that year
Average age
17
years old
2024 SSA rank
#11,889
Tracked since 1991
Popularity
Reaghan: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Reaghan 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 500 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
Reaghan 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 Reaghan during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Reaghans live
The SSA's state-level files cover 9 states and territories. Texas, Ohio, Pennsylvania recorded the most babies named Reaghan, while Virginia, Tennessee, Illinois recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 12 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Reaghan
The name Reaghan has its roots in the Irish Gaelic language, originating from the name Riagáin, which means "little king" or "descendent of the king." This name gained prominence during the medieval period in Ireland, particularly in the regions of Leinster and Munster.
The earliest recorded mention of the name Reaghan can be traced back to the 11th century, when it appeared in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. The annals document a figure named Riagáin mac Aodha, who was a prominent chieftain of the Uí Chennselaigh, a branch of the Laigin dynasty.
In the 12th century, the name Reaghan gained further recognition with the birth of Riagáin Ua Conchobair, a member of the influential Ua Conchobair dynasty, who ruled as the King of Connacht from 1156 to 1186. His reign was marked by several conflicts with the Anglo-Normans, who had begun their invasion of Ireland during this period.
As the centuries progressed, the name Reaghan continued to be used primarily within Irish communities, particularly among those with ancestral ties to the regions of Leinster and Munster. Notable historical figures bearing the name include Riagáin Ó Cléirigh (1590-1664), a renowned Irish scholar and chronicler, and Riagáin Ó Bruadair (1590-1635), a celebrated Irish poet and author.
In the 19th century, the name Reaghan gained broader popularity with the birth of Riagáin Mac Cairthaigh (1823-1892), an Irish nationalist and member of the Young Ireland movement. Mac Cairthaigh played a significant role in the struggle for Irish independence and was widely respected for his oratory skills and dedication to the cause.
Another prominent figure with the name Reaghan was Riagáin Ó Conchúir (1886-1957), an Irish revolutionary and politician who participated in the Easter Rising of 1916. Ó Conchúir was a member of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and later served as a member of the Irish Parliament (Dáil Éireann) after the establishment of the Irish Free State.
While the name Reaghan has its roots firmly planted in Irish history and culture, it has since gained popularity worldwide, particularly in English-speaking countries. However, its origins and historical significance remain deeply rooted in the rich tapestry of Irish heritage and tradition.
People
Reaghan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Reaghan as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with R
Other first names starting with R with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Reaghan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Reaghan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,091 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Reaghan 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 314,165 US residents.
Is Reaghan a common name?
We classify Reaghan as "Rare". It ranks above 90.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,105 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Reaghan most popular?
The single biggest year for Reaghan was 2008, when 71 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Reaghan is about 17 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Reaghan a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Reaghan in the SSA data are female. 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.