Deaglan
Say it: DAG-lawn
BoyIrish7 letters2 syllables
Unranked
in 2025
0
babies in 2025
#369
best rank (1996)
9
babies since 1996
Deaglan through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (boys) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 3 | #518 |
| 1999 | 3 | #379 |
| 1996 | 3 | #369 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0.
★ What does Deaglan mean?
Uncertain, sometimes given as "full of goodness"
Irish Deaglán, the modern Irish form of the saint's name Declán.
Say it right
DAGlawn
In Irish the D is slender, so it starts with a light "dy" sound, and the fada makes the end a long "awn". Some say DEG-lan.
The story of Deaglan
Deaglán is the modern Irish spelling of Declán, the name of the saint of Ardmore, and Declan is its English form. The CSO records it without the fada, as Deaglan. The meaning is not certain. It is sometimes explained as “full of goodness” or “man of prayer”, but those are popular readings rather than a proven etymology.
St Declan founded the monastery at Ardmore in Co. Waterford in the 5th century. He was the patron saint of the Déisi of east Munster, and tradition counts him among the Munster saints who preached before St Patrick came. His feast day is 24 July.
In the Republic Deaglan has always been rare, reaching the CSO lists in only three years, most recently 2005. It has been used more in Northern Ireland, where it reached number 186 in 2002. Declan, the English form, has been far more common on both sides of the border.
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Sources
- Wiktionary: Declan (English proper noun)
- Wikipedia: Declan (given name)
- Wikipedia: Declán of Ardmore
- CSO VSA50, Boys Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
- NISRA, Baby Names in Northern Ireland