Declan
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Meaning
meaning uncertain; the Irish form Deaglán probably begins with dag, "good"
Say it: DECK-lin
Goes by Dec. See all nicknames
The story
Declan is the English form of Irish Deaglán, from Old Irish Declán. Its full meaning is unknown; the strongest cautious clue is that it probably begins with Old Irish dag, good. The familiar man of prayer explanation is not established enough to present as fact. Saint Declan, traditionally a fifth-century missionary to the Déisi people, founded the monastery at Ardmore and kept the name rooted in Irish religious history. The American display tells a much newer chapter: it is nearly empty before the 2000s, rises strongly in the 2010s, and reaches its highest point in the 2020s. Films with characters named Declan appeared near that growth, but a curve alone cannot assign them a share of the cause. Declan's appeal joins unmistakable Irish identity, a clean modern sound, and an etymology honest enough to leave part of the story unresolved.
How popular is Declan around the world?
In the United States, 18,904 babies were named Declan between 2020 and 2025.
Declan is on the official records of the United States, Canada, South Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, England and Wales, Scotland, Mexico City, France and Spain.
United States
1 in 1,200
In the United States, 18,904 babies were named Declan between 2020 and 2025.
Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Declan peaked in the 2020s.
Births with a Social Security record. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration
Canada
1 in 1,600
In Canada, 224 boys named Declan were born in 2024, the 143rd most common name among boys that year.
share of that year’s name registrations
First given names from provincial and territorial vital statistics across Canada; any name-sex-year under 5 is excluded at source, and small Quebec counts carry a randomized adjustment made at source. Shares divide by Statistics Canada’s count of live births for the year; the 2024 count is preliminary. Source: Statistics Canada, first names at birth (table 17-10-0147-01)
South Australia
1 in 1,8002017
In South Australia, 10 boys were registered as Declan in 2017.
share of that year’s name registrations
Births registered in South Australia (not all of Australia) by first name and year of registration, 1944–2017, from the state’s Births, Deaths and Marriages registry, which publishes every name down to a single birth in capitals; a spelling its export repeats inside a year is counted once, and from 2018 only a top 100 is published, so the series ends at 2017. Source: Consumer and Business Services (South Australia), popular baby names
New Zealand
1 in 2,200
In New Zealand, 26 boys named Declan were registered in 2025.
share of that year’s name registrations
First given names from New Zealand birth registrations, grouped by registration year; any name under 10 in a year is excluded at source. Shares divide by Stats NZ’s count of births registered to mothers living in New Zealand, under 1% below the registry’s own count. Source: Department of Internal Affairs (New Zealand), baby name popularity over time
Ireland
1 in 4,900
In Ireland, 11 boys named Declan were born in 2025, the 348th most common name among boys that year.
share of that year’s name registrations
Exact registered spellings from Irish vital statistics; any name under 3 in a year is withheld at source, and accented spellings (fadas) are recorded reliably only from 2018. Source: Central Statistics Office (Ireland), Irish babies' names
England and Wales
1 in 5,200
In England and Wales, 112 boys named Declan were born in 2025, the 372nd most common name among boys that year.
share of that year’s name registrations
Birth registrations in England and Wales (not the whole UK); exact spellings are counted separately, and any spelling under 3 in a year is withheld at source. Source: Office for National Statistics, baby names in England and Wales
Scotland
1 in 5,700
In Scotland, 8 boys named Declan were registered in 2024, the 404th most common name among boys that year.
share of that year’s name registrations
Births registered in Scotland; different spellings count separately but accents are merged at source, and any spelling under 3 in total is suppressed. Source: National Records of Scotland, babies' first names
Mexico City City
1 in 59,000
In Mexico City, there were 2 registrations of Declan in 2022.
The count never rose above 3 in a year, too few to chart.
Civil-registry acts in Mexico City by registration year. Counts are lower bounds (names under 6 in a month and borough are removed at source) and count name-instances, not people; compound names are split, so “Maria Jose” counts under each part. 2023, a partial extract through 3 Mar with no cell on record for this name, is excluded. Source: Registro Civil of Mexico City, open data portal, registered given names 2000-2023
France
1 in 130,000
In France, about 5 boys named Declan were born in 2025, ranked 5,560th among boys that year.
share of that year’s births on record
Births in France by year of birth, from INSEE’s fichier des prénoms (1900–2025; Mayotte from 2012); exact spellings count separately (Léo and Leo are different names), any spelling under 3 in a year and sex is withheld at source, every count is rounded to the nearest 5 at source, and nametree keeps the spellings that reached 20 in some year. Shares divide by INSEE’s count of births in France from 1957, and before that by the file’s own total for the year; INSEE says the file is not complete before 1946. Source: Insee, fichier des prénoms (last updated 2026-07-16)
Spain
1 in 680,000
In Spain, 66 residents are named Declan, ranked 11,501st among men, with a mean age of 31.1 years.
Residents of Spain on 1 January 2025. Spain publishes how old a name’s living bearers are, not a birth series, so there is no year chart. Source: INE (Spain), Censo de Población anual, 1 January 2025
Argentina
last on record 2023
Declan is not on the 2024 record for Argentina, where small counts are withheld at source.
The count never rose above 8 in a year, too few to chart.
Given-name components of births in Argentina 2012–2024; national cells are lower bounds and no sex split is published. Source: RENAPER (Argentina), Dirección Nacional de Población, given names 2012-2024
Austria
last on record 2024
Declan is not on the 2025 record for Austria, which publishes every first name down to a single birth, so the name was not given there that year.
The count never rose above 1 in a year, too few to chart.
Live births in Austria by year of birth, 1984–2025, from Statistik Austria’s first-name statistics; spellings that differ only by special characters are counted together (umlauts stay apart), every name down to a single birth is published, and the count covers babies with Austrian citizenship only until 2009, every baby from 2010, and from 2015 also births abroad to mothers living in Austria. Shares divide by Statistik Austria’s count of live births from 2010, and before that by the file’s own total for the year. Source: Statistik Austria - data.statistik.gv.at (OGDEXT_VORNAMEN_1, updated 2026-07-09)
New South Wales
outside the top 100
Declan is not in the 2025 top 100 for New South Wales.
share of that year’s top-100 registrations
New South Wales (not all of Australia) publishes only each year’s 100 most popular names per sex, so a missing year means below that top 100, not rare. Source: NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, popular baby names
Not on the record in Puerto Rico and Poland: those registries withhold small counts, so rare uses may sit below their floors.
Not on the Chile record: nametree keeps spellings that reached 5 registrations in some year, so rarer uses are not shown. Not on the Montevideo record for 1940 to 2011: that registry withholds nothing, so this spelling was not given there in those years. Not on Norway’s list: Statistics Norway lists only first names carried by 200 or more living people, so rarer names are not shown.
When you meet Declan
Most people given the name Declan in the United States are children or teenagers today. The name belongs to this generation.
Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.
Where Declan travels
Irish · full of goodness (Saint Declan of Ardmore)
Irish American · a fast-rising favorite
Keep exploring
Names like Declan · Nicknames for Declan · Irish baby names · Irish American baby names · Names of soccer legends
The Declan deep dive
Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Declan truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Declan fits with your family’s names and surname.
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