Name of the Week

 

He feels like a sleek modern Celtic coinage, but this 
19th century revival also has a noble medieval heritage.

  

Origin:

An anglicised spelling of the Old Irish Declán The most likely etymology of the name is that it derives from the Old Irish elements deg, dag "good, excellent", or the related dech "best", and lán "full, abounding"* – in other words "full of goodness", "good in abundance".

Usage:

St Declán was an early Irish saint of Munster, who is thought to have lived in the 5th century. He is known for having founded the monastry at Ardmore in County Waterford and Chritianising the area before the arrival of St Patrick. The Waterford coat of arms bears the motto: Déisi oc Declán co Bráth "May the Déise remain with Declan forever" – Declan is said to have been a member of the noble Déise of Munster.  Declan became used in the 19th century but didn't see a great deal of usage up until the 1940s when it began to pick up popularity, mainly with Scottish and Irish families. The name entered the Top 100 in England and Wales in 1994 at #94 and peaked in 1997 at #69. As of 2010 the name ranks #133, with 448 births.  In Scotland the name has enjoyed more success, having peaked in 1999 at #35 and has stayed in the Top 100 for over a decade. In 2011 the name ranked at #98, with 62 births.

Famous Bearers:

* St Declan was an early Irish saint of Munster, thought to descend from Irish nobility. He is commemorated in Waterford.  * Declan Costello (1926–2011) was Attorney General of Ireland from 1973–1977 and later became a High Court judge.  * Declan MacManus (b.1954) is the given name of singer and musician Elvis Costello.  * Declan Affley (1939–1985) was a Cardiff-born Australian folk singer and musician. * Declan Donnellan (b.1953) is a British theatre director and writer.  * Declan Quinn (b.1957) is an Ireland-born American cinematographer; brother of actor Aidan Quinn.  * Declan Kidney (b.1959) is an Irish rugby union coach. * Declan Donnelly (b.1975) is part of well known presenting duo "Ant and Dec"

Variants:

Deaglán (Irish)

Pronunciation:

DEK-lən (UK) [key]

Possible Diminutives:

Dan, Dec, Del

Sibling Names:

Holly     Esme     Iona      Niamh      Erin     Orla Lewis     Finlay     Rory     Lucas     Elliott     Miles

Name Lists:

Cosy Celtic   Lively Lads   Saintly and Stylish

 

If you like Declan you may also like:   Lorcan, Dylan, Lachlan, Ciaran, Logan, Niall, Ronan, Keir, Lennon, Morgan