Reagan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  Ireland 


Irish surnames are linked to the long Gaelic heritage of the Island nation. The original Gaelic form of the name Reagan is Ó Riagain. In County Waterford, the Gaelic form Ó Reagain is used.

Early Origins of the Reagan family

The surname Reagan was first found in County Meath (Irish: An Mhí) anciently part of the kingdom of Brega, located in Eastern Ireland, in the province of Leinster, where they held a family seat from very ancient times.

One of the oldest records of the family was Morice Regan (fl. 1171), an Irish interpreter. He is stated in an old French poem, of which the only text begins 'Par soen demeine latimer.' He is thought to have acted as an interpreter and herald, or envoy in the service of Diarmaid MacMurchada, King of Leinster. 1

Early History of the Reagan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Reagan research. Another 137 words (10 lines of text) covering the year 1172 is included under the topic Early Reagan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Reagan Spelling Variations

During the Middle Ages, scribes recorded people's names as they saw fit. As a result, surnames often had many spelling variations. For Reagan some of these variations included: Reagan, Regan, O'Regan, O'Reagan and others.

Early Notables of the Reagan family

More information is included under the topic Early Reagan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Reagan Ranking

In the United States, the name Reagan is the 2,000th most popular surname with an estimated 14,922 people with that name. 2



Reagan migration to the United States +

Irish families began leaving their homeland for North America in the late 18th century. These families were usually modestly well off, but they were looking forward to owning and working on a sizable tract of land of their own. This pattern of emigration continued until the 1840s when the Great Potato Famine sparked a major exodus of destitute and desperate Irish people. These people were not leaving for a grant of land in North America because by this time the East Coast had reached its saturation point and free land was scarce. They were merely looking to escape the disease, starvation, and hopelessness that Ireland had fallen into. Although these unfortunate immigrants did not receive a warm welcome by the established populations in the United States and what would become Canada, they were absolutely critical to the rapid development that these two nations enjoyed. They would help populate the western lands and provide the cheap labor required for a rapid industrialization. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has revealed many early bearers of the name Reagan or one of its variants:

Reagan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
Reagan Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Reagan migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Reagan Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Reagan migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Reagan Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Reagan (post 1700) +




Suggested Readings for the name Reagan +





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