Nolan
NOH-lun /ˈnoʊ.lən/
Meaning of Nolan
Nolan is the anglicised form of the Irish Ó Nualláin — 'descendant of Nuallán,' a personal name diminutive of nuall ('famous, noble' or 'shout'). The name crossed into mainstream English use through the Irish diaspora and has been rising steadily in the US since the 2000s.
Current popularity of Nolan
Rankings from the most recent fully-published year in each national registry. Source links at the foot of the page.
| Registry | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| United States (SSA) | 2024 | #62 |
Notable bearers of Nolan
Christopher Nolan (filmmaker); Nolan Ryan (baseball player).
Similar names & variants
Cognates, spelling variants and close relatives. Click any name with an underline to read its own page.
Sibling-name suggestions
Names that pair stylistically with Nolan — useful as middle names or for siblings.
About this entry
Compiled by the Baby Name Finder editorial team following the rules in our Methodology and Editorial guidelines. If you spot an error, please tell us; our corrections policy is at /editorial-guidelines#corrections.
Sources
Last reviewed: 2026-05-31