Reagan is an Irish surname, an anglicized form of Ó Riagáin, usually explained as "descendant of the little king" or "impulsive", from the Gaelic riagán. Its use as an American girls' name grew during and after the presidency of Ronald Reagan. Reagan rose from number 286 in 2000 to a peak of number 97 in 2012, stayed near the top 100 until 2019 and has since dropped to number 248 in 2025.