Nolan
Boy name · Celtic · Irish · Irish surname
Meaningdescendant of Nuallán · Irish
- US rank
- #65
- Syllables
- 2
- Peak
- #57 in 2023
4,846 babies were named Nolan in the US in 2025. It has dropped 4 places in five years.
Found on lists
Save adds it to your list. Vote moves it up the top voted names.
US births per million girls, 1911–2025
US births per million boys, 1881–2025
Most popular states (2025)
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Nolan you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
Famous Nolan
Nolan Gould
American actor
Choose Nolan and your child shares a first name with Nolan Gould, an American actor. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Nolan, like who?” Nolan Gould's Wikipedia article is available in 38 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.
Read about Nolan Gould on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Photo: Jesse Kornblum, CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons
- How commonAbout 1 in every 352 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Nolan, 4,846 babies in all. In a school of 500 kids, there'd probably be one other Nolan.
- HistoryNolan first shows up in US birth records in 1881, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 144 years since.
- Best yearIts best year was 2023, when it reached #57.
- Then vs nowNolan is 2.8× more common today than it was in 2000. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 969 baby boys; in 2025, about 1 in 352.
- Where it's lovedNolan is the #22 boy name in 2 states, including Rhode Island, South Dakota and South Dakota. It makes the top 1,000 in almost every state.
- MeaningIn Irish, Nolan means “descendant of Nuallán”. Our records link it to Celtic, Irish and Irish surname roots.
- OriginNolan is the #5 most popular Celtic boy name in the US. That's out of 542 Celtic boy and unisex names in our list.
About the name Nolan
Nolan is a boy name of Celtic, Irish and Irish surname origin meaning “descendant of Nuallán”. It has 5 letters and 2 syllables, starting with N and ending in “-lan”. US birth records list Nolan for boys from 1881 to 2025, in 139 of those 145 years. Its best year was 2023, when it ranked #57 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #65, with 4,846 babies.
Origin:Celtic namesIrish namesIrish surname names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 2.1 | 481,283 girls |
| 1920s | 0.4 | 2,380,952 girls |
| 1940s | 0.4 | 2,631,579 girls |
| 1980s | 1.8 | 555,556 girls |
| 1990s | 1.7 | 602,410 girls |
| 2000s | 5.0 | 199,203 girls |
| 2010s | 12 | 83,612 girls |
| 2020s | 18 | 56,604 girls |
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 32 | 31,056 boys |
| 1890s | 65 | 15,373 boys |
| 1900s | 127 | 7,899 boys |
| 1910s | 154 | 6,507 boys |
| 1920s | 152 | 6,583 boys |
| 1930s | 172 | 5,803 boys |
| 1940s | 137 | 7,284 boys |
| 1950s | 98 | 10,256 boys |
| 1960s | 78 | 12,862 boys |
| 1970s | 122 | 8,223 boys |
| 1980s | 253 | 3,959 boys |
| 1990s | 607 | 1,646 boys |
| 2000s | 1,318 | 759 boys |
| 2010s | 2,666 | 375 boys |
| 2020s | 2,929 | 341 boys |
Other spellings of Nolan
More Celtic boy names
- Unisex name: Owen · well-born
- Unisex name: Logan · little hollow
- Unisex name: Rowan · little red-haired one
- Unisex name: Cameron · crooked nose
- Boy name: Ian · God is gracious
- Unisex name: Gael · a Gael
- Boy name: Arthur · possibly bear
- Unisex name: Ryan · little king
Questions about the name Nolan
What does the name Nolan mean?
Nolan means “descendant of Nuallán” in Irish.
What is the origin of the name Nolan?
Nolan has Celtic, Irish, Irish surname roots in our records. Other Celtic names include Owen, Logan, Rowan.
Is Nolan a boy or girl name?
Nolan is a boy name, though a few girls get it too.
How popular is the name Nolan?
Nolan ranked #65 for US boys in 2025, given to 4,846 babies. Its best year was 2023 (#57).