Boy name · Irish Gaelic
Nolan
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: from an Irish surname derived from nuall, famous, loudNolan is a boy's name that is of Irish Gaelic origin: from an Irish surname derived from nuall, famous, loud. It is used in English and French.
- Meaning
- From an Irish surname derived from nuall, famous, loud
- Origin
- Irish Gaelic
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #65 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Nolan
As a boy's name, Nolan is of Irish Gaelic origin: from an Irish surname derived from nuall, famous, loud. It is used in English and French.
Nolan is also a surname: the 770th most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 43,879 people. See the most common last names.
Meaning checked against Behind the Name. How we research names
Nolan on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Nolan on 1 list.
“Ó Nualláin, descendant of Nuallán”
From Irish last names, irish Ó surnames (O' names)
How popular is Nolan?
- US rank in 2025
- #65
- 4,846 babies, 2,837 per million boys
- Best rank
- #57 in 2023
- Most babies: 5,739 in 2015
- Babies since 1881
- At least 135,505
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 28 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 66 per million |
| 1900s | 128 per million |
| 1910s | 153 per million |
| 1920s | 152 per million |
| 1930s | 172 per million |
| 1940s | 135 per million |
| 1950s | 97 per million |
| 1960s | 78 per million |
| 1970s | 121 per million |
| 1980s | 253 per million |
| 1990s | 605 per million |
| 2000s | 1,321 per million |
| 2010s | 2,662 per million |
| 2020s | 2,929 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #67 | #67 | #65 | #65 | #61 | #60 | #65 | #57 | #64 | #65 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Names spelled like Nolan
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
Names with a similar meaning
- LouiseFamous warrior (Germanic, girl)
- BertaBright, famous (Germanic, girl)
- ClotildeFamous battle (Germanic, girl)
- LouisFamous warrior (Germanic, boy)
- LuisaFamous warrior (Germanic, girl)
- RolandFamous land (Germanic, boy)
- AloysiusFamous warrior (Germanic, boy)
- CaraFriend in Irish; beloved in Italian (Irish and Italian, girl)
- DeclanMeaning unknown, though likely begins with Old Irish dag, good (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- EvelynFrom a surname derived from the given name Aveline (English, girl)
- GrahamFrom a surname from the place name Grantham, probably gravelly homestead (Old English, boy)
- JacksonFrom a surname meaning son of Jack (English, boy)
- JustinFrom Latin Iustinus, derived from Justus, just (Latin, boy)
- KennedyFrom an Irish surname, from Cennétig, armoured or misshapen head (Irish Gaelic, girl)
- LewisFamous warrior (Germanic, boy)
Middle names for Nolan
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
More boy names from Irish Gaelic
- OscarPossibly deer friend (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- FinnFair, white (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- FergusMan of vigor (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- KevinGentle birth (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- RonanLittle seal (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- RoryRed king (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- AidanLittle fire (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- AidenLittle fire (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- AodhFire, flame (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- AydenVariant of Aidan, little fire (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- BarryFair-haired (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- BrendanA prince (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- CaseyVigilant, watchful (Irish Gaelic, unisex)
- CassidyCurly-haired (Irish Gaelic, unisex)
- CodyDescendant of the helpful one (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- ConanLittle hound or little wolf (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- ConnorLover of hounds (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- ConorLover of hounds (Irish Gaelic, boy)
Nolan: common questions
What does the name Nolan mean?
Nolan is of Irish Gaelic origin: from an Irish surname derived from nuall, famous, loud. Checked against Behind the Name.
Is Nolan a boy or girl name?
Nolan is mainly a boy's name. In 2025, 19 girls and 4,846 boys in the US were named Nolan, according to Social Security Administration data.
Where does the name Nolan come from?
Nolan is of Irish Gaelic origin: from an Irish surname derived from nuall, famous, loud. Today it is used in English and French.
How popular is the name Nolan?
Nolan ranked #65 in the US in 2025, with 4,846 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Nolan?
Names spelled like Nolan include Noah, Norman, Natan, Nilam and Noam.
What middle names go with Nolan?
Middle names that flow well with Nolan include Cedar, Everett, George, Josiah and Peter. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.