Nolan

Nolan: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning: “descendant of Nuallán”
Origin: Irish
Say it: NOH-lən · 2 syllables
Used for: Boys

Anglicized from the Irish surname Ó Nualláin. The byname Nuallán is linked to a word meaning noble or famous.

Irish names Names meaning noble Surname-style names International names

How popular is Nolan?

20241,477 per million US babies

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.

Compare with another name

Babies named Nolan in 20244,916

2024 rank#64 boys

Peak year2018

Total US babies since 1880131,160

Nolan has been fairly stable over the last fifteen years.

Names like Nolan

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

Liamresolute protector · Irish
Aidenlittle fire · Irish
Ryanlittle king · Irish
Quinndescendant of Conn · Irish
Declanuncertain, possibly full of goodness · Irish
Connorlover of hounds · Irish
Kevinhandsome, gentle, kind · Irish
Braydendescendant of Bradán · Irish

Nolan questions

What does the name Nolan mean?

Nolan means "descendant of Nuallán". It comes from Irish. Anglicized from the Irish surname Ó Nualláin. The byname Nuallán is linked to a word meaning noble or famous.

Is Nolan a boy or girl name?

Nolan is mainly a boy's name in US records (100% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Nolan?

4,916 US babies were named Nolan in 2024. Its peak year was 2018.

How do you pronounce Nolan?

Nolan is usually pronounced NOH-lən.

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.