NameRealm
Callan

Callan: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning
“little battle; rock”
Origin
Irish
Say it
KAL-un · 2 syllables
Used for
Boys (87% of all uses)

Usually from an Irish surname derived from Cathalán or Ó Cathaláin, linked to cath 'battle.' It can also relate to Scottish place-name usage; exact derivation may vary.

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How popular is Callan?

2024452 per million US babies
1880192019602000
Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Babies named Callan in 20241,505

2024 rank#242 boys

Peak year2024

Total US babies since 188010,647

Callan is rising: use over the last five years is 3.8× what it was a decade earlier.

Names like Callan

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

  • Liamresolute protector · Irish
  • Aidenlittle fire · Irish
  • Rileyvaliant · Irish
  • Nolandescendant of Nuallán · Irish
  • Ryanlittle king · Irish
  • Declanuncertain, possibly full of goodness · Irish
  • Connorlover of hounds · Irish
  • Kevinhandsome, gentle, kind · Irish

Callan questions

What does the name Callan mean?

Callan means "little battle; rock". It comes from Irish. Usually from an Irish surname derived from Cathalán or Ó Cathaláin, linked to cath 'battle.' It can also relate to Scottish place-name usage; exact derivation may vary.

Is Callan a boy or girl name?

Callan is mainly a boy's name in US records (87% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Callan?

1,505 US babies were named Callan in 2024. Its peak year was 2024.

How do you pronounce Callan?

Callan is usually pronounced KAL-un.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.