regan

Regan is a name of Irish origin used as both a given name and a surname. It derives from the Gaelic Ó Riogáin, meaning “descendant of Riogán,” with Riogán related to rí, meaning “king,” giving the sense of “little king” or “royal.” The spelling Regan is a variant of Reagan, and the form is used for people of many backgrounds today. It is considered unisex, though in contemporary usage it is more commonly given to girls in English-speaking countries, while historically it appeared in male lines in Ireland.

In literature and popular culture, Regan is most familiar as a character in Shakespeare’s King Lear, where Regan is one of Lear’s daughters who conspire against him alongside Goneril. In modern horror cinema, Regan MacNeil is the possessed girl in The Exorcist (1971), a role that contributed to the name’s notoriety.

Notable people with the given name or surname Regan include Regan Smith, an American swimmer, and Regan Burns, an American actor and comedian. The surname Regan is common in Ireland and among people of Irish descent, with many unrelated families adopting the spelling.

See also Reagan, a closely related given name and surname, and other variants of the same origin. The name Regan continues to appear in literature, media, and public life as both a surname and a given name.