UK name, mostly boys
Reagan
A feminine English name from a surname derived from the Irish surname Ó Riagáin meaning "little ruler".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Also recorded as a girls' name in the UK, with 422 girls.
Reagan is mostly registered for boys in the UK records. People looking for Reagan popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1076, with 27 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2009, with 77 births.
This profile covers 1,371 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, 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 35% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 1,518 living people in the UK are called Reagan. 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 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Reagan ranked #1076 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 27 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2009, when 77 boys were registered as Reagan.
- • Reagan ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #392 in 2020.
- • Reagan is also recorded for girls, but the boys side is the larger UK variant in these records.
- • About 1,518 living people in the UK are estimated to have Reagan as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 76.5% of Reagan registrations are for boys.
Latest rank (E&W)
#1076
2024
Births in 2024
27
Latest year
Peak year
2009
77 births
Estimated living
1,518
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Reagan
In England and Wales birth records, Reagan has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 76.5% of registrations are for boys and 23.5% are for girls.
These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.
Reagan registered for boys
- Ranked #1,076 in 2024
- 27 boys registered in 2024
- Peak: 2009 (77 births)
Reagan registered for girls
- Ranked #5,891 in 2024
- 3 girls registered in 2024
- Peak: 2014 (23 births)
Meaning
What does Reagan mean?
The name Reagan has its origins in the Irish Gaelic language and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Irish word "Riagain," which means "little king" or "descendant of the king." This name was commonly used in Ireland and its surrounding regions during the medieval period.
In ancient Irish texts and historical records, the name Reagan was associated with several notable figures, including Irish chieftains and warriors. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century.
Throughout history, there have been several famous individuals who bore the name Reagan. One of the most prominent was Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States, who served from 1981 to 1989. Born in 1911 in Tampico, Illinois, Reagan had a distinguished career as an actor before entering politics.
Another notable figure was John Reagan, an American diplomat and lawyer who served as the United States Minister to Portugal from 1841 to 1844. He was born in 1808 in Sevier County, Tennessee, and played a significant role in negotiating treaties with Portugal during his tenure as a diplomat.
In the literary world, the name Reagan is associated with the Irish poet and writer Thomas MacDonagh, who was born in 1878 in Cloughjordan, County Tipperary. MacDonagh, whose full name was Thomas MacDonagh Ó Raghallaigh, was a prominent figure in the Irish literary revival and was one of the leaders of the Easter Rising in 1916.
In the world of sports, there was Reagan Foxx, an American basketball player who played in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) for several teams, including the Houston Comets and the Seattle Storm. She was born in 1978 in Greenville, South Carolina, and had a successful career spanning over a decade.
Another notable figure with the name Reagan was Reagan Wilson, an American actress best known for her roles in television shows like "The Office" and "Bones." She was born in 1983 in Atlanta, Georgia, and has appeared in numerous films and television productions throughout her career.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Reagan over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Reagan in England and Wales, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Reagan, the clearest high point is 2009. The latest England and Wales figure is 27 births in 2024, compared with 77 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Reagan by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Reagan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #844 | 191 | 5 |
| 2010s | #589 | 613 | 10 |
| 2000s | #596 | 437 | 10 |
| 1990s | #624 | 130 | 4 |
Geography
Where Reagan is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Reagan. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Reagan ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #392 in 2020.
Across the UK
Reagan in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#728 in 2023
23 years of NRS records, 137 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#392 in 2020
5 years of NISRA records, 21 total registered
Related
Names similar to Reagan
- Ryan 68,692
- Riley 37,992
- Robert 27,462
- Reuben 25,122
- Rhys 24,418
- Reece 24,329
- Rory 21,870
- Roman 16,609
- Ronnie 16,445
- Reggie 14,684
- Rowan 14,371
- Ralph 8,892
FAQ
Reagan: questions and answers
How popular is the name Reagan in the UK right now?
In 2024, Reagan was ranked #1076 for boys in England and Wales, with 27 births registered.
When was Reagan most popular?
The peak year on record was 2009, with 77 babies registered as Reagan in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Reagan?
A feminine English name from a surname derived from the Irish surname Ó Riagáin meaning "little ruler".
How many people are called Reagan in the UK?
A total of 1,371 babies have been registered as Reagan across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 137 more in Scotland and 21 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Reagan most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Reagan ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #392 in 2020. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
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.