Fun Facts About the Name Nolan
- A newer favorite: Nolan first entered the U.S. top 100 in 2011 and stayed there through 2025 - a run of 15 consecutive years.
- More than 136 thousand babies named Nolan: U.S. records list 136,025 babies given the name Nolan from 1880 through 2025. Even 555 girls received the name Nolan - about 1 girl for every 244 boys.
What Does the Name Nolan Mean?
Nolan is a given name of Irish origin used in English. It means "descendant of Nuallán," from the Gaelic surname Ó Nualláin. In Irish, the prefix Ó means "descendant of" or "grandson of," so Ó Nualláin identifies a family as the descendants of a man named Nuallán. The personal name Nuallán is a diminutive of nuall, an Irish word for a shout, cry, or loud sound; the suffix -án has a diminutive force, giving a sense like "little shout" or "shouter." Some later interpretations of the name give it as "famous" or "noble," but the literal root is a shout or cry.
Nolan Name History & Origins
The name began as the Irish surname Ó Nualláin. Hereditary surnames developed in Ireland in the medieval period, and this name belonged to Gaelic families in Leinster, especially in Counties Carlow and Wexford. After the Tudor conquests and the later plantations, English-language administration encouraged anglicized forms of Irish names. The prefix Ó was frequently dropped, and the name was written in English as Nolan, O'Nolan, or Nowlan.
As a first name, Nolan is a transferred use of the surname. It has been used as a given name in the United States and other English-speaking countries. It is not a shortened form of an unrelated longer name, and it has no separate classical or biblical origin. The modern Irish surname remains Ó Nualláin; the given name usually keeps the Anglicized spelling Nolan.
How Popular is the Name Nolan?
Nolan recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2015. Nolan entered the top 100 U.S. boy names in 2011.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #6,272 | 19 | 0.0012% |
| 2024 | #4,843 | 28 | 0.0017% |
| 2023 | #4,254 | 34 | 0.0021% |
| 2022 | #4,992 | 27 | 0.0016% |
| 2021 | #4,150 | 35 | 0.0021% |
| 2020 | #4,726 | 28 | 0.0017% |
| 2019 | #4,055 | 36 | 0.0021% |
| 2018 | #4,743 | 29 | 0.0017% |
| 2017 | #4,897 | 28 | 0.0016% |
| 2016 | #5,750 | 23 | 0.0013% |
| 2015 | #6,913 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 2014 | #6,383 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 2013 | #8,457 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2012 | #9,561 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2011 | #7,698 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2010 | #9,649 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2009 | #12,194 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2008 | #11,380 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2007 | #8,417 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2006 | #13,293 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2005 | #14,117 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2004 | #6,436 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 2003 | #10,230 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2002 | #11,901 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2001 | #13,108 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1997 | #15,442 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1996 | #11,444 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1994 | #15,071 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1991 | #11,123 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1990 | #12,448 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1988 | #10,036 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1986 | #8,262 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1985 | #6,796 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1983 | #9,846 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1945 | #5,060 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1926 | #5,415 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1916 | #3,825 | 7 | 0.0007% |
| 1911 | #2,759 | 5 | 0.0012% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #65 | 4,846 | 0.2837% |
| 2024 | #64 | 4,888 | 0.2850% |
| 2023 | #57 | 5,123 | 0.2998% |
| 2022 | #65 | 4,924 | 0.2823% |
| 2021 | #60 | 5,352 | 0.3061% |
| 2020 | #61 | 5,198 | 0.3013% |
| 2019 | #65 | 5,400 | 0.3011% |
| 2018 | #64 | 5,628 | 0.3100% |
| 2017 | #67 | 5,399 | 0.2918% |
| 2016 | #67 | 5,634 | 0.2970% |
| 2015 | #71 | 5,739 | 0.2995% |
| 2014 | #81 | 5,210 | 0.2713% |
| 2013 | #86 | 4,745 | 0.2509% |
| 2012 | #89 | 4,426 | 0.2334% |
| 2011 | #93 | 4,168 | 0.2195% |
| 2010 | #104 | 3,689 | 0.1923% |
| 2009 | #122 | 3,437 | 0.1733% |
| 2008 | #131 | 3,150 | 0.1544% |
| 2007 | #133 | 3,171 | 0.1528% |
| 2006 | #146 | 2,839 | 0.1381% |
| 2005 | #149 | 2,718 | 0.1361% |
| 2004 | #162 | 2,489 | 0.1254% |
| 2003 | #175 | 2,217 | 0.1122% |
| 2002 | #172 | 2,232 | 0.1150% |
| 2001 | #180 | 2,093 | 0.1077% |
| 2000 | #182 | 2,026 | 0.1032% |
| 1999 | #211 | 1,623 | 0.0845% |
| 1998 | #233 | 1,365 | 0.0714% |
| 1997 | #236 | 1,311 | 0.0695% |
| 1996 | #257 | 1,106 | 0.0584% |
| 1995 | #263 | 1,066 | 0.0560% |
| 1994 | #260 | 1,112 | 0.0576% |
| 1993 | #250 | 1,143 | 0.0583% |
| 1992 | #248 | 1,164 | 0.0583% |
| 1991 | #257 | 1,054 | 0.0522% |
| 1990 | #302 | 846 | 0.0412% |
| 1989 | #365 | 617 | 0.0308% |
| 1988 | #388 | 509 | 0.0266% |
| 1987 | #396 | 480 | 0.0257% |
| 1986 | #384 | 479 | 0.0260% |
| 1985 | #379 | 478 | 0.0259% |
| 1984 | #352 | 520 | 0.0288% |
| 1983 | #379 | 449 | 0.0250% |
| 1982 | #397 | 423 | 0.0233% |
| 1981 | #418 | 395 | 0.0221% |
| 1980 | #465 | 329 | 0.0184% |
| 1979 | #521 | 262 | 0.0152% |
| 1978 | #509 | 257 | 0.0157% |
| 1977 | #569 | 218 | 0.0133% |
| 1976 | #572 | 202 | 0.0129% |
| 1975 | #569 | 201 | 0.0129% |
| 1974 | #622 | 167 | 0.0106% |
| 1973 | #595 | 175 | 0.0112% |
| 1972 | #667 | 145 | 0.0089% |
| 1971 | #581 | 199 | 0.0113% |
| 1970 | #606 | 180 | 0.0097% |
| 1969 | #629 | 158 | 0.0088% |
| 1968 | #627 | 146 | 0.0084% |
| 1967 | #668 | 126 | 0.0072% |
| 1966 | #593 | 161 | 0.0090% |
| 1965 | #704 | 112 | 0.0060% |
| 1964 | #612 | 164 | 0.0082% |
| 1963 | #634 | 154 | 0.0076% |
| 1962 | #653 | 141 | 0.0068% |
| 1961 | #621 | 165 | 0.0078% |
| 1960 | #608 | 166 | 0.0078% |
| 1959 | #578 | 185 | 0.0087% |
| 1958 | #576 | 182 | 0.0086% |
| 1957 | #569 | 185 | 0.0086% |
| 1956 | #532 | 198 | 0.0094% |
| 1955 | #518 | 199 | 0.0097% |
| 1954 | #511 | 203 | 0.0100% |
| 1953 | #514 | 190 | 0.0096% |
| 1952 | #477 | 214 | 0.0110% |
| 1951 | #494 | 189 | 0.0100% |
| 1950 | #450 | 215 | 0.0120% |
| 1949 | #452 | 219 | 0.0123% |
| 1948 | #451 | 218 | 0.0124% |
| 1947 | #476 | 198 | 0.0108% |
| 1946 | #459 | 192 | 0.0118% |
| 1945 | #450 | 174 | 0.0129% |
| 1944 | #423 | 207 | 0.0152% |
| 1943 | #436 | 207 | 0.0145% |
| 1942 | #448 | 192 | 0.0139% |
| 1941 | #441 | 176 | 0.0143% |
| 1940 | #384 | 221 | 0.0191% |
| 1939 | #398 | 205 | 0.0185% |
| 1938 | #404 | 198 | 0.0179% |
| 1937 | #419 | 183 | 0.0172% |
| 1936 | #436 | 166 | 0.0160% |
| 1935 | #399 | 188 | 0.0181% |
| 1934 | #400 | 189 | 0.0183% |
| 1933 | #425 | 167 | 0.0168% |
| 1932 | #408 | 190 | 0.0182% |
| 1931 | #450 | 156 | 0.0150% |
| 1930 | #438 | 180 | 0.0164% |
| 1929 | #492 | 142 | 0.0132% |
| 1928 | #486 | 157 | 0.0142% |
| 1927 | #464 | 174 | 0.0154% |
| 1926 | #464 | 168 | 0.0151% |
| 1925 | #479 | 161 | 0.0144% |
| 1924 | #484 | 164 | 0.0145% |
| 1923 | #460 | 177 | 0.0161% |
| 1922 | #457 | 183 | 0.0168% |
| 1921 | #446 | 191 | 0.0173% |
| 1920 | #486 | 157 | 0.0148% |
| 1919 | #490 | 149 | 0.0152% |
| 1918 | #528 | 132 | 0.0130% |
| 1917 | #468 | 149 | 0.0161% |
| 1916 | #466 | 150 | 0.0169% |
| 1915 | #514 | 118 | 0.0139% |
| 1914 | #465 | 108 | 0.0165% |
| 1913 | #458 | 90 | 0.0176% |
| 1912 | #501 | 62 | 0.0144% |
| 1911 | #529 | 32 | 0.0142% |
| 1910 | #509 | 31 | 0.0160% |
| 1909 | #494 | 28 | 0.0171% |
| 1908 | #675 | 16 | 0.0104% |
| 1907 | #491 | 23 | 0.0157% |
| 1906 | #514 | 20 | 0.0150% |
| 1905 | #584 | 17 | 0.0128% |
| 1904 | #531 | 18 | 0.0140% |
| 1903 | #765 | 10 | 0.0084% |
| 1902 | #578 | 15 | 0.0122% |
| 1901 | #668 | 11 | 0.0103% |
| 1900 | #642 | 16 | 0.0106% |
| 1899 | #695 | 10 | 0.0094% |
| 1898 | #1,251 | 5 | 0.0041% |
| 1897 | #634 | 12 | 0.0106% |
| 1896 | #811 | 9 | 0.0075% |
| 1895 | #849 | 8 | 0.0068% |
| 1894 | #619 | 12 | 0.0104% |
| 1893 | #744 | 9 | 0.0080% |
| 1892 | #735 | 10 | 0.0082% |
| 1889 | #1,068 | 5 | 0.0045% |
| 1887 | #665 | 9 | 0.0089% |
| 1886 | #1,064 | 5 | 0.0045% |
| 1884 | #824 | 7 | 0.0061% |
| 1881 | #970 | 5 | 0.0050% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Explore Name Lists Featuring Nolan
Carl appears in several baby name collections based on U.S. popularity records, naming trends, and name characteristics. Explore these lists to discover other names with similar histories, styles, or features.
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How the Name Nolan Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You have a vivid imagination who can bring inspired messages to the world. You like to enjoy the pleasures of life, and when self is overcome, you can rise to the heights. You have an ability to avoid trouble - that is why you often fails to learn from experiences. You are restless, sociable people-oriented, a lover of change, and a seeker of adventure and new thrills. You are frank, methodical and believe in law, system and order.
You are always looking for an opportunity to achieve financial and emotional security. You are basically peacemaker. You understand the law of harmony and desire to balance your life with those around you. You may feel incomplete without someone to share your love, ideals, wealth or work. You can be very sensitive and could appear a bit shy and perceptive. You have developed intuition, patience and the ability to nurture others. You can achieve the state of happiness if you are willing to accept your needs in a complimentary relationship and go to create them.
✦ Nolan's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Nolan's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.