Declan
Declan was the 139th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 2,570 babies. Its best year was 2019, when it ranked 95th with 3,971 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 27 places. More babies were named Declan in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning Origin not documented
Say it DEK-luhn /ˈdɛklən/
- Rank in 2025
- #139 boys, down 37 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 2,570boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20193,971 babies
- Total since 1880
- 58,950babies recorded
What does the name Declan mean?
Declan is the English form of the Irish Déclán, the name of Saint Declan of Ardmore, an early Irish missionary in the region that is now County Waterford. Wiktionary takes it from Old Irish Declán, and Wikipedia notes an ogham inscription with an early form of the name. The original meaning is not recorded in the dictionary sources we checked. Wikipedia mentions popular glosses such as 'man of prayer' and 'full of goodness', but treats them as beliefs rather than established derivations.
How sure is this? Not documented. No documented etymology for the Old Irish personal name; popular glosses are unverified.
Other explanations you may read: Means 'man of prayer' or 'full of goodness'.
Related names: Deaglán, Deklan.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Declan', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Declan (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Declan popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 403 since 2001, 17 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #139 | 2,570 |
| 2020 | #102 | 3,601 |
| 2010 | #274 | 1,257 |
| 2000 | #545 | 388 |
| 1990 | #2,022 | 37 |
| 1980 | #5,689 | 6 |
| 1970 | #2,933 | 11 |
| 1960 | #3,417 | 7 |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Declan, counting every spelling?
Declan is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #140 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #139 for Declan on its own. Together these spellings went to 2,724 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Declan | 2,570 | #139 | 15,141 |
| Deklan | 57 | #2,399 | 504 |
| Deklyn | 28 | #3,869 | 178 |
| Decklan | 21 | #4,744 | 105 |
| Decklyn | 16 | #5,666 | 88 |
| Deklin | 16 | #5,667 | 86 |
| Deklen | 11 | #7,302 | 61 |
| Decklin | — | — | 26 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Declan?
2,570 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Declan (0.71 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Declan born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 3 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Declan.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Declan?
About 58,000 people born in the US named Declan are alive today, with a median age of 9; half are between 5 and 14. That makes Declan a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Declan by state
How common Declan was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Vermont (3.8×), Maine (3.1×), New Hampshire (3.1×), Wyoming (2.8×), Montana (2.8×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in California, Texas, New Mexico.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Declan: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Declan, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Declan · Sibling names for Declan
Questions about the name Declan
How popular is the name Declan?
Declan was the 139th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 2,570 babies. Its best year was 2019, when it ranked 95th with 3,971 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 27 places. More babies were named Declan in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Declan a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Declan in the US.
Where is Declan most popular?
In 2021–2025, Declan was most common in Vermont (6.69 per 1,000 boys), followed by Maine and New Hampshire.