Nolan
Anglicized from Irish Ó Nualláin (literally “descendant of Nuallán”), diminutive of nuall (“chariot-fighter, champion”).
Every Nolan since 1881 — 136,061 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Nolan
Nolan is a top-100 name for boys in the United States, ranked #65 in 2025 with 4,846 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.
Since 1881, 136,061 American babies have been named Nolan. Its peak came in 2015, when 5,757 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 2010s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Nolan stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Nolan year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 19 | #6,272 | 4,846 | #65 |
| 2024 | 29 | #4,741 | 4,900 | #64 |
| 2023 | 34 | #4,259 | 5,129 | #57 |
| 2022 | 27 | #4,995 | 4,928 | #65 |
| 2021 | 35 | #4,152 | 5,354 | #60 |
| 2020 | 28 | #4,727 | 5,200 | #61 |
| 2019 | 36 | #4,055 | 5,403 | #65 |
| 2018 | 29 | #4,743 | 5,629 | #65 |
| 2017 | 28 | #4,897 | 5,400 | #67 |
| 2016 | 23 | #5,750 | 5,634 | #67 |
| 2015 | 18 | #6,915 | 5,739 | #71 |
| 2014 | 20 | #6,383 | 5,210 | #81 |
| 2013 | 14 | #8,457 | 4,745 | #86 |
| 2012 | 12 | #9,564 | 4,427 | #89 |
| 2011 | 16 | #7,699 | 4,169 | #92 |
| 2010 | 12 | #9,652 | 3,689 | #104 |
| 2009 | 9 | #12,195 | 3,437 | #122 |
| 2008 | 10 | #11,381 | 3,151 | #131 |
| 2007 | 15 | #8,419 | 3,171 | #133 |
| 2006 | 8 | #13,296 | 2,839 | #146 |
| 2005 | 7 | #14,117 | 2,719 | #149 |
| 2004 | 19 | #6,436 | 2,489 | #162 |
| 2003 | 10 | #10,231 | 2,217 | #175 |
| 2002 | 8 | #11,901 | 2,232 | #172 |
| 2001 | 7 | #13,108 | 2,093 | #180 |
| 2000 | — | — | 2,026 | #182 |
| 1995 | — | — | 1,066 | #263 |
| 1990 | 6 | #12,448 | 846 | #302 |
| 1985 | 10 | #6,797 | 478 | #379 |
| 1980 | — | — | 329 | #465 |
| 1975 | — | — | 201 | #569 |
| 1970 | — | — | 180 | #606 |
| 1965 | — | — | 112 | #704 |
| 1960 | — | — | 166 | #608 |
| 1955 | — | — | 199 | #518 |
| 1950 | — | — | 215 | #450 |
| 1945 | 5 | #5,059 | 174 | #450 |
| 1940 | — | — | 221 | #384 |
| 1935 | — | — | 188 | #399 |
| 1930 | — | — | 180 | #438 |
| 1925 | — | — | 161 | #479 |
| 1920 | — | — | 157 | #486 |
| 1915 | — | — | 118 | #514 |
| 1910 | — | — | 31 | #509 |
| 1905 | — | — | 17 | #584 |
| 1900 | — | — | 16 | #642 |
| 1895 | — | — | 8 | #849 |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1885 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
Famous people named Nolan
- Nolan Bushnell Computer scientist · b. 1943
- Nolan North Actor · b. 1970
- Nolan Ryan Baseball player · b. 1947
- Nolan Gould Actor · b. 1998
- Nolan Gerard Funk Actor · b. 1986
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Nolan mean?
Anglicized from Irish Ó Nualláin (literally “descendant of Nuallán”), diminutive of nuall (“chariot-fighter, champion”).
How popular is the name Nolan in 2025?
Nolan ranked #65 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 4,846 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Nolan?
136,061 babies have been named Nolan in the United States since 1881, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Nolan most popular?
Nolan peaked in 2015, when 5,757 newborns received the name.
Is Nolan a boy or girl name?
Nolan is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Nolan rising or falling?
Nolan has been roughly stable over the past decade.
Who are famous people named Nolan?
Well-known people named Nolan include Nolan Bushnell (computer scientist), Nolan North (actor), Nolan Ryan (baseball player).