Declan

Meaning of Declan

Declan is the Anglicized form of the Old Irish Deaglán—most commonly interpreted as “full of goodness”—and it first appears in written history with St. Declán of Ardmore, a 5th-century missionary who reportedly preceded St. Patrick in Christianizing parts of Munster. Pronounced DEK-lən, the name migrated from rural valleys to urban rosters during the 20th century, riding a gentle Gaelic revival and, more recently, a wave of parents seeking a Celtic choice that feels traditional yet board-room compatible. In the United States, its statistical trajectory resembles a slow-burn IPO: annual registrations hovered in the single digits through the 1980s, cracked triple digits by 2010, and peaked near 4,000 births and a rank of 95 in 2019 before settling into the low 100s. The spelling is straightforward, the nickname options (Dec, Dex, Lan) are there if required, and the cultural baggage is light—save for the occasional nod to singer Declan McKenna or a passing joke about one’s child being “full of goodness” during a diaper change, which, admittedly, is a stretch.

Pronunciation

Irish

• Pronunced as DEK-lan (/ˈdɛlkən/)

• Ethan
• Dylan
• Aidan
• Liam
• Nolan
• Gavin
• Logan