Declan Name Meaning

What Does Declan Mean?

If you’re looking for a good-feeling Irish name, here is one full of meaning and history.

Declan is a boy name of Irish origin, and an anglicized form of the Gaelic name "Deaglán," which comprises two elements. “Deagh” means “good, excellent, or worthy,” and “lán” means “full.” Put together the name Declan means “full of goodness.”

The name Declan is also associated with the Irish saint, Declán of Ard Mór, thought to be one of the first missionaries to bring Christianity to Ireland before Saint Patrick. Therefore, the name Declan also means “man of prayer.”

How Popular Is the Name Declan?

The name Declan only started ranking in the Top 1000 names in 1998. But it has been in use for a while and is quite a common name in Ireland, Scotland, and other English-speaking countries.

Since its appearance in the U.S. charts, Declan has been steadily climbing the ranks, reaching peak popularity in 2019 at No. 95, entering the Top 100 names. However, in 2020 it just dropped out of the Top 100 ranking at No.102.

Similar Names

Similar sounding names to Declan:

• Daquan
• Darian
• Darrien
• Deacon
• Devin
• Devlin
• Devon
• Dillon
• Dylan
• Kellan
• Lachlan

Other Irish boy names:

• Aiden
• Brayden
• Callum
• Cormac
• Flynn
• Gulliver
• Kieran
• Liam
• Noah
• Nolan
• Owen
• Ronan
• Rowan
• Ryan
• Shane

Other boy names starting with D:

• Damien
• Dane
• Daniel
• Darius
• Darrell
• Dash
• Dawson
• Dax
• Denver
• Dev
• Dhruv
• Diallo
• Diego
• Dmitri

Common Nicknames

There are many nickname options that can be derived from the name Declan:

• Dax
• Dec
• Deck
• Dee
• Deke
• Dex
• Lan

Suggested Sibling Names

Looking for a sibling name for Declan? Here are some popular options?

• Archer
• Bella
• Brody
• Corbin
• Delaney
• Ella
• Finn
• Fiona
• Harper
• Harrison
• Jonah
• Logan
• Madison
• Oliver
• Quinn
• Sabrina
• Wyatt

Famous People Named Declan

Some notable people who share the name Declan are;

• Declan Farmer, American ice sled hockey player, and 2014 Paralympic gold medalist
• Declan Hughes, Irish novelist, playwright, and screenwriter, known for writing crime novels such as “All the Things You Are,” “All the Dead Voices,” and “The Wrong Kind of Blood”
• Declan John Galbraith, British musician, best known for his 2002 hit single, "Tell Me Why"
• Declan Joseph Oliver, British television presenter, producer, singer, comedian, and actor best known as presenting duo Ant & Dec, alongside Ant McPartlin
• Declan Michael Laird, Scottish actor best known for his roles in the movies “Hot Air,” “Green Rush” and “Big Dogs”
• Declan Patrick McManus, Irish-English singer-songwriter, professionally known as Elvis Costello
• Declan Shalvey, Irish comics-artist, and writer known for his works with both Marvel Comics and DC Comics

Fictional Declans:

• Declan Desmond, an eccentric fictional character in the animated sitcom “The Simpsons.”
• Declan Mulqueen, played by Richard Gere in the 1997 movie, “The Jackal.”
• Declan O'Callaghan, one of the main characters played by Matthew Goode in the 2010 movie “Leap Year.”
• Declan Porter, a recurring character in the TV series “Revenge.”