Nolan
An Irish surname, anglicized from O Nuallain, based on a diminutive of nuall, a word carrying the sense of famous or noble.
Nolan in 2025
Nolan was given to 4,865 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 110th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 681 babies born.
The history of Nolan
Nolan reached its highest point in 2015, when 5,757 babies were given the name, ranking 107th that year. Its best-ever ranking was 100th, in 2018.
Across the 145 years of records since 1881, 136,061 babies have been named Nolan. Half of them were born before 2013, which places the name's centre of gravity with Generation Alpha.
Nolan by decade
| Decade | Babies named Nolan | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 31 | 1,442 |
| 1890s | 75 | 1,512 |
| 1900s | 174 | 1,243 |
| 1910s | 1,033 | 969 |
| 1920s | 1,679 | 951 |
| 1930s | 1,822 | 849 |
| 1940s | 2,008 | 820 |
| 1950s | 1,960 | 1,008 |
| 1960s | 1,494 | 1,336 |
| 1970s | 2,006 | 1,139 |
| 1980s | 4,709 | 758 |
| 1990s | 11,821 | 406 |
| 2000s | 26,467 | 218 |
| 2010s | 50,253 | 100 |
| 2020s | 30,529 | 100 |
Where Nolan is heading
Nolan has fallen 15% over the past decade, from 5,757 babies in 2015 to 4,865 in 2025.
Names like Nolan
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Nolan.