Reagan (surname) explained

The family name Reagan, and its cognates Regan, O'Regan, O Regan, O'Reagan, is an Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Riagáin or Ó Ríogáin, from Ua Riagáin. The meaning is likely to originate in ancient Gaelic from ri "sovereign, king" and the diminutive -in, "the king's child", transliterating as "little king"^[1]

The feminine forename Regan is likely to have derived sometime later from the English royal name Regina.^[2]

Notable people with the surname include:

• Jimmy Reagan (1891–1975), American boxer who won the World Bantamweight Championship.
• Ronald Reagan (1911–2004), 40th president of the United States
• Nancy Reagan (1921–2016), wife of Ronald Reagan and First Lady from 1981 to 1989
  • Maureen Reagan (1941–2001), President Reagan's daughter from his first marriage to Jane Wyman
  • Michael Reagan (born 1945), President Reagan's adopted son and radio talk show host
  • Patricia Ann Reagan (born 1952), better known as Patti Davis, Ronald and Nancy Reagan's daughter
  • Ron Reagan (born 1958), President Reagan's son and journalist
• Frank Reagan (1919–1972), American football player
• John Henninger Reagan (1818–1905), Confederate politician
• Johnny Reagan (1926 - 2018), American college baseball coach
• Lisa Reagan, American singer
• Marc Reagan, NASA Station Training Lead and NEEMO underwater program Mission Director
• Michael Joseph Reagan (born 1954), American judge
• Michele Reagan (born 1969), Secretary of State of Arizona
• Ron Reagan (Florida politician) (born 1954), American politician

Notes and References

1. Web site: Meaning of Reagan . 24 April 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150901181342/http://babynames.allparenting.com/list/Celtic_Baby_Names/Regan/details/ . 1 September 2015.
2. Web site: History of the Irish name Reagan. Ireland Calling.