Boy name · Irish Gaelic
Declan
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: meaning unknown, though likely begins with Old Irish dag, goodDeclan is a boy's name that comes from Irish Gaelic and means "meaning unknown, though likely begins with Old Irish dag, good". It is used in English and Irish.
- Meaning
- Meaning unknown, though likely begins with Old Irish dag, good
- Origin
- Irish Gaelic
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #139 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Declan
As a boy's name, Declan comes from Irish Gaelic and means "meaning unknown, though likely begins with Old Irish dag, good". It is used in English and Irish.
Meaning checked against Behind the Name. How we research names
How popular is Declan?
- US rank in 2025
- #139
- 2,570 babies, 1,505 per million boys
- Best rank
- #95 in 2019
- 3,971 babies that year
- Babies since 1951
- At least 58,547
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 0 per million |
| 1920s | 0 per million |
| 1930s | 0 per million |
| 1940s | 0 per million |
| 1950s | 1 per million |
| 1960s | 4 per million |
| 1970s | 3 per million |
| 1980s | 8 per million |
| 1990s | 58 per million |
| 2000s | 364 per million |
| 2010s | 1,654 per million |
| 2020s | 1,809 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #109 | #115 | #101 | #95 | #102 | #106 | #114 | #132 | #132 | #139 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Names spelled like Declan
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
Names with a similar meaning
- MiriamForm of Mary, meaning uncertain; perhaps Egyptian beloved (Hebrew, girl)
- AaronProbably Egyptian, meaning unknown; Hebrew theories say exalted (Hebrew, boy)
- AlanMeaning uncertain; perhaps little rock, or from the Alans (Brythonic, boy)
- TobiasGod is good (Hebrew, boy)
- AgataGood, from Greek agathos (Greek, girl)
- FridaPeace; in Old Norse, beloved (Germanic and Old Norse, girl)
- HassanHandsome, good (Arabic, boy)
- AgathaGood (Greek, girl)
- AgatheGood one (Greek, girl)
- AldoOld (Germanic, boy)
- AthenaMeaning unknown; the Greek goddess of wisdom (Greek, girl)
- BushraGood news (Arabic, girl)
- CaraFriend in Irish; beloved in Italian (Irish and Italian, girl)
- DariaHolding firm the good (Persian, girl)
- DariusHe who holds firm the good (Persian, boy)
Middle names for Declan
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More boy names from Irish Gaelic
- OscarPossibly deer friend (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- FinnFair, white (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- FergusMan of vigor (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- KevinGentle birth (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- RonanLittle seal (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- RoryRed king (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- AidanLittle fire (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- AidenLittle fire (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- AodhFire, flame (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- AydenVariant of Aidan, little fire (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- BarryFair-haired (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- BrendanA prince (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- CaseyVigilant, watchful (Irish Gaelic, unisex)
- CassidyCurly-haired (Irish Gaelic, unisex)
- CodyDescendant of the helpful one (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- ConanLittle hound or little wolf (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- ConnorLover of hounds (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- ConorLover of hounds (Irish Gaelic, boy)
Declan: common questions
What does the name Declan mean?
Declan comes from Irish Gaelic and means "meaning unknown, though likely begins with Old Irish dag, good". Checked against Behind the Name.
Is Declan a boy or girl name?
Declan is mainly a boy's name. In 2025, 17 girls and 2,570 boys in the US were named Declan, according to Social Security Administration data.
Where does the name Declan come from?
Declan comes from Irish Gaelic and means "meaning unknown, though likely begins with Old Irish dag, good". Today it is used in English and Irish.
How popular is the name Declan?
Declan ranked #139 in the US in 2025, with 2,570 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Declan?
Names spelled like Declan include Dylan and Dean.
What middle names go with Declan?
Middle names that flow well with Declan include Ansel, Beau, Cedar, Elton and Ezra. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.