Find out how popular the last name Reagan is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Reagan.

Reagan, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Reagan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Reagan in America

Reagan is the 2207th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Reagan surname appeared 16,491 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Reagan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Reagan to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Reagan

The surname Reagan originates from Ireland and is an Anglicized form of the Irish Gaelic name O'Riagain. It is believed to have originated from the Gaelic phrase "Rí Ágáin," meaning "little king" or "descendant of the king." The name has its roots in the ancient Irish kingdom of Bréifne, which encompassed parts of modern-day counties Cavan, Leitrim, and Longford.

The earliest recorded mentions of the name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. It references individuals with the surname O'Riagain as early as the 11th century, indicating the name's long history in Ireland.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Gilla na Naem O'Riagain, who served as the Bishop of Ardagh in the late 12th century. Another notable figure was Maelsechlainn O'Riagain, a 13th-century poet and scholar from County Cavan.

As the name evolved, it took on various spellings, such as O'Regan, Regan, and eventually Reagan. The modern spelling of "Reagan" is believed to have emerged in the 16th century, as English influence in Ireland grew stronger.

In the 17th century, the name appears in records related to the Plantation of Ulster, a planned process of colonizing Ulster with Protestant English and Scottish settlers. During this time, many Irish families, including those bearing the surname Reagan, were displaced from their ancestral lands.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Reagan was John Reagan, an Irish-American soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War. Born in County Cavan, Ireland, in 1737, he emigrated to Pennsylvania and later served as a captain in the Continental Army.

Another notable figure was Michael Joseph Reagan, an Irish-American Catholic priest and educator born in 1837. He played a significant role in establishing Catholic education in the United States and founded several schools and institutions.

In the 20th century, the surname gained global recognition with Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States. Born in 1911 in Tampico, Illinois, he served as President from 1981 to 1989 and is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in modern American politics.

Other notable individuals with the surname Reagan include Neil Reagan, an American actor and television director born in 1908, and David Reagan, an American Christian author and evangelist born in 1946.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Reagan

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Reagan.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Reagan was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Reagan has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Reagan was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Reagan, please contact us.

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