A modern spelling of Reagan, from an Irish surname meaning little king.
Reigan is a variant spelling of Reagan (also spelled Regan), a name with firm Irish Gaelic roots. It derives from the Old Irish surname Ó Ríagáin, meaning 'descendant of Riagán,' where Riagán itself may come from rí (king) with a diminutive suffix, yielding something like 'little king' or 'noble-born.' The name's origins lie in County Meath, where the Ó Ríagáin clan was historically powerful, and it belongs to the broader tradition of Irish surnames-turned-given-names that gained tremendous popularity in the late twentieth century.
In literary history, Regan is most familiar as one of King Lear's daughters in Shakespeare's tragedy — a character whose cruelty and ambition stand in sharp contrast to her gentle sister Cordelia. This association gave the name a somewhat villainous literary shadow for centuries, though modern parents using the name are rarely making a Shakespearean allusion. S.
President, gave the name a decidedly American conservative association during the 1980s, but its use as a feminine given name largely transcended political connotation. The spelling Reigan — like Raegan, Reaghan, and Reegan — reflects the contemporary American practice of phonetic respelling to create a distinctive visual identity while preserving familiar sound. These variant spellings gained momentum in the 1990s and 2000s as parents sought names that felt both recognizable and unique.
Reigan in particular has a slightly more exotic appearance than Reagan, suggesting perhaps a more internationally minded sensibility. The name sits comfortably alongside other Irish-derived names — Riley, Quinn, Brynn — that have become staples of modern naming culture.