boy's name
Nolan
NOH-lun
- Origin Irish
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Top 100 (US)
- Births on record 207,500
the United States
#65
2025 births
Nolan is a boy's name of Irish origin, anglicized from Ó Nualláin. The root nuall means a shout, cry or proclamation, so the name is generally translated as "descendant of the famous one" or "champion."
- Nolan is a name of Irish origin.
- Peaked in 2015, when 5,757 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 681 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1881.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Nolan over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 31 |
| 1890s | 75 |
| 1900s | 174 |
| 1910s | 1,033 |
| 1920s | 1,679 |
| 1930s | 1,822 |
| 1940s | 2,008 |
| 1950s | 1,960 |
| 1960s | 1,494 |
| 1970s | 2,006 |
| 1980s | 4,709 |
| 1990s | 11,821 |
| 2000s | 26,467 |
| 2010s | 50,253 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 30,529 |
What Nolan means
Nolan means descendant of Nuallán, a byname built from nuall, a shout or proclamation — someone shouted about, and therefore renowned. Reference sources give famous, noble and champion, all reaching for the same underlying idea.
Where Nolan comes from
Nolan anglicizes the Irish surname Ó Nualláin, from the personal name Nuallán, a diminutive of nuall, meaning a shout, cry or public proclamation. The sense runs from being shouted about to being celebrated, which is how the glosses famous and champion arise. The Ó Nualláin family were hereditary lords in County Carlow, and held a ceremonial role in the inauguration of the kings of Leinster. The surname traveled widely with Irish emigration and moved into use as a given name in twentieth-century America, part of the general adoption of Irish surnames as first names alongside Ryan, Riley and Brennan.
How popular is Nolan?
In 2025, Nolan was given to 4,865 babies in the United States, ranking #65 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Where Nolan is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
How Nolan is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Nolàn | Nolàn is a rare spelling of Nolan, written with a grave accent and recorded about 10 times, mostly in France. | 10 |
Names that peaked alongside Nolan
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Nolan also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Nolan over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Nolan
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Nolan in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
- Irish
- Noland
Sibling names for Nolan
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Nolan — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Nolan
What does the name Nolan mean?
Nolan means "descendant of the famous one," from the Irish nuall, a shout or proclamation.
Is Nolan an Irish name?
Yes. It anglicizes Ó Nualláin, the name of a family of hereditary lords in County Carlow.
Was Nolan originally a surname?
Yes, and its use as a given name is a twentieth-century American development.
How popular is the name Nolan?
In 2025, Nolan was given to 4,865 babies in the United States, ranking #65 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Is Nolan a girl's or a boy's name?
Nolan is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Nolan?
Nolan has 2 syllables.
What are the nicknames for Nolan?
Nolan is usually shortened to Nol.
Is Nolan a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Nolan currently ranks #34 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.