Reagan

Shakespeare gave it to one of Lear's scheming daughters — spelled Regan — and handed her a cruelty that the name has mostly outrun. The Irish Ó Riagáin traces back to Riagán, from Old Gaelic roots suggesting a little king or an impulsive one, which is either a warning or a personality sketch depending on the child. American politics applied its own gloss in the 1980s, and the name absorbed both the presidential association and the Celtic etymology without settling into either one permanently.

As a given name Reagan appeared on U.S. charts in the 1970s and surged through the 2000s, landing firmly in unisex territory but trending female over time. The alternative spelling Regan circulates as well, keeping the name slightly divided against itself in a way that only adds to its current appeal. It currently sits at rank 244, steady and purposeful. The name carries authority without heaviness, which is a difficult balance to achieve.

Two syllables — RAY-gan — both stressed about equally, with a clean consonant frame. It pairs well beside Dallas, Lennon, or Palmer, names that share the proper-noun confidence of something borrowed from history and worn as a personal statement. No traditional nickname on offer; the name is already short enough. The child who carries it tends to be decisive in ways that look spontaneous, the one who raises her hand before she's entirely sure of the answer and usually gets it right.