Way back in the early 90s (oh man, do I feel old), I remember some friends of my parents naming their little girl Reagan. I was shocked to hear of it, thinking her name sounded masculine and stuffy. Like my opinion of this name, times have changed, and now our little friend named Reagan is a successful 20-something with a fashionable name that is so well-liked it is a top 100 choice in the US for girls.
A Royal Daughter
I've seen some sources say Reagan means little king, but it's actually closer to "child of a little king" (or "son of a small ruler"). For a girl, you could further interpret that meaning to something like "little princess". I bring this up because Regina, a similar name, is Latin for "queen", and sometimes you'll see that definition as well. It's not too far off. The name Ryan means little king, making Reagan a perfect name for a daughter of a daddy named Ryan.
Pronunciation
Typically, the spellings Reagan and Raegan are pronounced RAY-gən, while Regan is pronounced REE-gən (rhymes with vegan).
The sounds of Reagan and Regan are a perfect fit with other contemporary name choices like Raven, Teagan, and Megan.
Associations & Spellings
The biggest association for Reagan is, of course, the US President Ronald Reagan. Reagan was president from January of 1981–1989, defining the decade for the US. Some parents purposefully choose to use this name in his honor. When Reagan died in 2004, his surname climbed the name charts by 57 places for girls and 270 for boys. For some, it's a name full of 80s nostalgia. But there are also a lot of parents who simply love the sound of the name and think that the presidential association is either a non-issue or a happy little bonus.
Some parents prefer the look of Raegan, especially if they want to use Rae as a nickname. Others choose this spelling to help distance the name from the former president.
The name Regan, pronounced REE-gan, is used in Shakespeare's King Lear. It's also the name of the girl in the movie The Exorcist. Coming up soon I'll be writing about names used in horror movies, but to summarize my thoughts on the matter: Horror movies don't do much to deter parents from using cool-sounding names, and in fact, often promote them, even if it's the name of an "evil" character.
Is Reagan Unisex?
Like many surnames, Reagan could be used for either a boy or a girl. Statistics tell us, though, that Reagan is used much more often for girls. On the boys' list of the top 1,000 names, Reagan is ranked at #893 and has been sitting between 800 and 1,000 since the year 2007. It's a rare choice for boys these days.
Popularity
- Reagan is in the top 100 names for girls and currently sits at #97.
- Raegan is an alternative spelling that's doing pretty well at #294. It's rising in popularity.
- Regan sits at 828.
Want an explanation of the numbers? Learn more about name rank here.
More on Reagan
For a little more reading, check out this post from a blogger with the name Reagan discussing how she feels about her name. Would kids today call a girl named Reagan "Ronald"? I doubt it, though it is a more understandable issue for a girl growing up in the 80s.
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