Regan
A feminine name of Irish origin meaning "little queen" or "queenly".
Name Census estimates that about 19,107 living Americans carry the first name Regan. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 81.3% of registrations being female. The average person named Regan today is around 29 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Regan births was 2001 (810 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Regan. 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
19K
~ 1 in 17,939 Americans
Peak year
2001
810 babies that year
Average age
29
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,357
Tracked since 1920
Gender
Gender distribution for Regan
Regan leans heavily female at 81.3% of total registrations, but 3,730 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Regan as a male name
- Ranked #4,035 in 2024
- 27 male births in 2024
- Peak: 1979 (89 births)
Regan as a female name
- Ranked #2,357 in 2024
- 78 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2001 (747 births)
Popularity
Regan: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Regan from the 1920s through to the 2020s, spanning 10 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 6,697 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
Regan 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 Regan during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Regans live
The SSA's state-level files cover 46 states and territories. Texas, California, Ohio recorded the most babies named Regan, while Wyoming, Hawaii, District of Columbia recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 300 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Regan
The name Regan has its roots in the Irish Gaelic language, originating from the word "Rioghan," which means "queen" or "royal." This name first emerged in the medieval period, specifically in Ireland, where it was associated with sovereignty and regal authority.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Regan can be found in the Irish Annals, which document historical events from the 5th to the 16th century. These annals mention several individuals bearing the name, indicating its widespread use among the Irish nobility and ruling families during that era.
In the realm of mythology, the name Regan holds significance as it was borne by one of the three daughters of King Lear in the legendary tales from ancient Britain. This literary reference can be traced back to the famous play "King Lear" by William Shakespeare, which was written in the early 17th century.
Throughout history, several notable figures have carried the name Regan. One of the earliest recorded individuals was Regan, the daughter of the 7th-century Irish king Aillil mac Dunlang. Another prominent bearer was Regan of Howth, a 12th-century Irish noblewoman who played a pivotal role in the Norman invasion of Ireland.
In the 16th century, Regan Mor O'Rahilly was a renowned Irish poet and scholar, known for his contributions to the preservation of the Gaelic language and culture. His works were highly celebrated during his lifetime and continue to be studied by scholars today.
Moving forward to the 20th century, Regan Grimes was an American professional baseball player who played for the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1920s. He was a versatile athlete and is remembered for his impressive batting skills.
Another notable figure was Regan MacNeil, the name of the character played by Ellen Burstyn in the iconic 1973 horror film "The Exorcist." While a fictional character, the name gained widespread recognition and popularity due to the film's cultural impact.
People
Regan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Regan 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
Regan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Regan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 19,107 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Regan 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 17,939 US residents.
Is Regan a common name?
We classify Regan as "Uncommon". It ranks above 98.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 19,956 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Regan most popular?
The single biggest year for Regan was 2001, when 810 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Regan is about 29 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Regan a female name?
Yes, 81.3% of people registered as Regan 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.