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OK...the decans work like this.....
Any astrology book can tell you that there are 12 zodiac signs that represent the 12 "houses" or the 12 sections of the ecliptic, and each sign has an image associated to it. You can get that from any newspaper and everyone knows the signs. However, the houses are further divided into 3 sections each--called decans--and each decan has a positive and negative aspect. So, you have a total of 72 different influences that supposedly influence your life, the world...blah, blah, blah (I'm only explaining the theory, I never said I believe it).
The 72 decans all have their own names and personifications. Some people considered the decans to be metaphoric images and some people believed in them literally, as if there were 72 actual spirits that you could communicate with. A huge percent of the "demon" names you find are actually decan names or corruptions of them made by people who believed in them literally. For a good overview of the whole thing find Three Books of Occult Philosophy by Henry Cornelius Agrippa (edited by Don Tyson). Agrippa lays the whole system out and Tyson's notes are the best I've seen on it.
Once you understand the decans and their images you see that most magic books with "demon" names are based on this system or are poor imitations of it. Most Christian and Jewish angels and demons are also based on this layout. Try reading the Bible or any cabalistic texts with the math in mind and you'll see what I mean. The numbers 3, 12, 36 and 72 crop up everywhere because each of the 12 houses is divided into 3 decans for a total of 36 and each decan has a good and bad aspect for a total of 72.
Douglas Adams was wrong. The answer to life, the universe and everything isn't 42 but 72.
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