How to say it
DEC · lan
ˈdɛk.lən
Masculine
Declan
Full of goodness
What it means
Anglicized Irish Deaglán, from a root probably meaning 'full of goodness' or 'man of prayer.' Saint Declan of Ardmore was a 5th-century Irish bishop, possibly pre-dating Saint Patrick.
Declan is the anglicization of the Irish Deaglán, from a root probably meaning 'full of goodness' or 'man of prayer.' Saint Declan of Ardmore was a 5th-century Irish bishop, traditionally said to have preached in Munster before Patrick arrived in Ireland, making him one of the first wave of Irish Christianity rather than Patrick's harvest. His cult is centered in County Waterford. The English-language adoption of Declan is recent: rare in the US before 2000, then climbing fast. It entered the US top 100 in 2018. Single short forms aren't common.
How to spell Declan
The standard spelling is Declan. Common variants include Deaglán, but Declan is the most widely used form.
Popularity over time
peaked at #95 in 2019, currently #139 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–2025. Reviewed July 2026. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Pronunciation
DECK-lan, two syllables. The C is hard.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Saint Declan of Ardmore 5th-century Irish bishop, one of the pre-Patrician Christian missionaries to Ireland
Spelling variants
- Deaglán
Names with the same feeling
See Declan from another angle
By style
Common questions
- What does the name Declan mean?
- Anglicized Irish Deaglán, from a root probably meaning 'full of goodness' or 'man of prayer.' Saint Declan of Ardmore was a 5th-century Irish bishop, possibly pre-dating Saint Patrick.
- What does Declan mean in Irish?
- In Irish, Declan means "Full of goodness." Declan is the anglicization of the Irish Deaglán, from a root probably meaning 'full of goodness' or 'man of prayer.' Saint Declan of Ardmore was a 5th-century Irish bishop, traditionally said to have preached in Munster before Patrick arrived in Ireland, making him one of the first wave of Irish Christianity rather than Patrick's harvest. His cult is centered in County Waterford. The English-language adoption of Declan is recent: rare in the US before 2000, then climbing fast. It entered the US top 100 in 2018. Single short forms aren't common.
- How do you pronounce Declan?
- Declan is pronounced ˈdɛk.lən. Say it as DEC-lan, with the stress on the "dec" syllable.
- How do you spell Declan?
- The standard spelling is Declan. Common spelling variants include Deaglán.
- Is Declan a boy or girl name?
- Declan is traditionally a masculine name.
- How popular is the name Declan?
- Declan ranked #139 in the U.S. in 2025, according to Social Security Administration data.