From Ó Riagáin, likely ‘descendant of the fiery one’ — chiefs of Uí Duach in Kilkenny, and a separate name from Egan despite the resemblance.
The Regan certificate.
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Gaelic Origin · Root name Riagán
Regan comes from Ó Riagáin, likely built on a root suggesting a fierce or fiery temper. The family were chiefs of Uí Duach in County Kilkenny, and gave their name directly to the town of Ballyragget — Baile Uí Riagáin, ‘the town of the descendants of Riagán’ — which still carries it today.
A separate, unrelated name from Egan despite how alike the two look on paper — different root, different ancestor, different county. Worth saying plainly rather than blurring two families into one.
Irish form: Ó Riagáin
