UK boy's name
Dagan
A masculine name of Mesopotamian origin meaning "Child of corn" or "Bringer of bread".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2009. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Dagan is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Dagan popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2009 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3744, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2005, with 14 births.
This profile covers 45 England and Wales registrations across 8 recorded years from 1997 to 2009. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 29% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 45 living people in the UK are called Dagan. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2010 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Dagan ranked #3744 for boys in England and Wales in 2009, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2005, when 14 boys were registered as Dagan.
- • About 45 living people in the UK are estimated to have Dagan as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#3744
2009
Births in 2009
4
Latest year
Peak year
2005
14 births
Estimated living
45
2026
Meaning
What does Dagan mean?
The given name Dagan has its roots in Semitic languages, particularly in the ancient Mesopotamian regions of the Middle East. The name is derived from the Akkadian word "daganu," which means "grain" or "fertile land." It is believed to have originated around 2500-2000 BCE during the Sumerian and Akkadian civilizations.
The name Dagan was associated with the Semitic god of agriculture and fertility, who was widely worshipped in ancient Mesopotamia. This deity was known as Dagan, Dagon, or Baal-Dagon, and was revered by the Amorites, Canaanites, and Philistines. The name Dagan appears in various ancient texts, including the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Bible, where it is mentioned in the Book of Judges and the First Book of Samuel.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dagan can be found in the Mari Archives, a collection of cuneiform tablets from the 18th century BCE that document the city-state of Mari in modern-day Syria. These tablets mention individuals with the name Dagan, indicating its use during the Old Babylonian period.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Dagan. One of the most famous was Dagan I, a king of the Akkadian Empire who ruled around 2350 BCE. Another notable figure was Dagan-ashurid, a governor of the city of Terqa during the Old Babylonian period, mentioned in the Mari tablets.
In the medieval era, Dagan was a common name among the Druze community in Lebanon and Syria. One prominent figure was Dagan al-Atassi (1836-1920), a Syrian intellectual and poet who played a significant role in the Arab Renaissance movement.
During the 20th century, Dagan was the name of several notable individuals, including Dagan Siman Tov (1896-1987), an Israeli politician and member of the Knesset, and Dagan Cohen (1933-2007), an Israeli writer and translator.
Another individual with this name was Meir Dagan (1945-2016), a former director of the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad, who served from 2002 to 2011 and played a crucial role in shaping Israel's security policies.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Dagan over time
The chart below shows babies named Dagan registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1997 to 2009. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Dagan, the clearest high point is 2005. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2009, compared with 14 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Dagan by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Dagan was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | #2679 | 41 | 7 |
| 1990s | #2337 | 4 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Dagan
- Daniel 120,900
- Dylan 60,836
- David 37,852
- Dominic 20,480
- Declan 11,657
- Dexter 11,627
- Danny 8,434
- Dean 5,329
- Dillon 4,113
- Douglas 3,773
- Dominik 3,494
- Damian 3,486
FAQ
Dagan: questions and answers
How popular is the name Dagan in the UK right now?
In 2009, Dagan was ranked #3744 for boys in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Dagan most popular?
The peak year on record was 2005, with 14 babies registered as Dagan in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Dagan?
A masculine name of Mesopotamian origin meaning "Child of corn" or "Bringer of bread".
How many people are called Dagan in the UK?
A total of 45 babies have been registered as Dagan across the 8 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.