Show ContentsReagles History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Reagles

What does the name Reagles mean?

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

Early Origins of the Reagles family

The surname Reagles 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 Reagles family

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

Reagles Spelling Variations

One's name was often recorded under several different spellings during the life of its bearer during the Middle Ages. Spelling variations revealed in the search for the origin of the Reagles family name include Reagan, Regan, O'Regan, O'Reagan and others.

Early Notables of the Reagles family

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

Migration of the Reagles family

In the 18th and 19th centuries hundreds of thousands of Irish people immigrated to North American shores. The early settlers were enticed by the promise of their own land, but they were moderately well off in Ireland when they decided to emigrate. Therefore, they were merely carrying out a long and carefully thought out decision. The 1840s saw the emergence of a very different trend: thousands of extremely desperate people crammed into passenger boats hoping to find any type of opportunity. The Irish of this decade had seen their homeland severely stricken by crop failures which resulted in widespread disease and starvation. At whatever time the Irish immigrants came to North America, they were instrumental in the rapid development of the emerging nations of the United States and what would become known as Canada. An exhaustive search of passenger and immigration lists has revealed many persons bearing the name Reagles, or one of its variants: John Regan, who settled with his wife and three children in Prescott, Ontario, Canada, in 1825; James, John, Patrick, Thomas and William O'Regan, who all arrived at Philadelphia between 1840 and 1860.



  1. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print


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