Regan — Irish Surname Origin & Meaning
Irish form: Ó Riagáin
Meaning: 'descendant of Riagán'
Traditional stronghold: Laois, Cork
Pronunciation: REE-gan or RAY-gan; Irish Ó Riagáin: oh REE-uh-gawn
History of the Regan name
Ó Riagáin derives from the personal name Riagán, of uncertain meaning though often linked to rí ('king'). There were at least two distinct septs: one counted among the Four Tribes of Tara in Meath, pushed south into Laois by the Anglo-Normans, where the barony name Tinnahinch country preserves their trace; and a Dalcassian family of Thomond, kinsmen of Brian Boru, who spread through Limerick and into Cork. Today O'Regan, with the prefix restored, is strongest in Cork, while Regan is scattered across Leinster and Connacht. The name's most famous modern association is American: Ronald Reagan's great-grandfather emigrated from Ballyporeen in County Tipperary.
Variants: Reagan · O'Regan · O'Reagan
Famous bearers of the name
- Ronald Reagan — Fortieth President of the United States, descended from the Regans of Ballyporeen, County Tipperary.
- Donald Regan — Irish-American US Treasury Secretary and White House chief of staff under Reagan.
- Eugene Regan — Irish judge of the Court of Justice of the European Union.
Related names from the same part of Ireland: Murphy · O'Sullivan · McCarthy · Moore · Daly · Dunne · Collins · Flynn