The name Declan means “full of goodness” because of the two names “lan” (full) and “deagh” (good) being put together.

Some also believe that this name is connected to Declan of Ard Mor, who was an Irish Saint who brought Christian beliefs to Ireland, before Saint Patric himself. So to some, the name Declan actually means “man of prayer”.
Most often, this name is given to male babies but could be used for girls as well.
- Declan Name Origin: Irish
- Declan name meaning: full of goodness
- Pronunciation: deh – klun
- Gender: Most commonly used as a name for boys
How Popular is the Name Declan?
Declan has been flying up the name ranking charts since 1998 when it was only ranked around 710 by 2019 it was at number 95. Unfortunately in 2020, it just missed out on the top 100 baby names in the United States but hopefully, it’ll climb back up to where it was in 2019!
Variations of the Name Declan
If you love the name Declan but your heart isn’t entirely set on it, why don’t you consider some of the name variations? Some of them are derived from other languages so let’s take a look!
Name | Meaning | Origin |
Deacon | Messenger or servant | Greek and English |
Daquan | Spring | Chinese |
Darian | Possessing goodness | Persian |
Dylan | Son of the sea | Welsh |
Dillon | Like a lion or loyal | Irish |
Lachlan | Warlike or from the land of the lochs | Scottish |
Devin | Divine, fawn or poet | Irish or Welsh or Latin |
Other Amazing Irish Boys Names
If you really love the idea of an Irish name then there are many other alternatives that you could choose. Some of these are in the table below.
Name | Meaning |
Aidan | Little fire |
Cillian | Bright headed or monastery |
Finn | Fair |
James | Supplanter |
Rian | King |
Liam | Desire or Guardian |
Conor | Lover of hounds |
Alternative Boy Names Starting With “D”
However, you may not be set on the Irish origin and you’re keen to have a name beginning with “D” for your little one but don’t worry, we have you covered!
Name | Meaning | Origin |
David | Beloved | Hebrew |
Daniel | God is my judge | Hebrew |
Damian | Conquer, master | Greek |
Dean | Dignitary in charge of ten others or monk | Greek |
Diego | Supplanter | Spanish |
Dominic | Of the Lord | Irish or English |
Dakota | Ally or friend | Native American |
Famous People Named Declan
Due to this name being fairly popular, there are a few famous people out there who also share the name Declan. But, who are they? Here is a list of some famous people who have the name Declan.
- Declan Rice – Soccer player
- Declan Mulholland – Actor
- Declan Donelly – TV Host
- Declan Rudd – Soccer player
- Declan Bennet – Singer