Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 2009

Nolen

Gender Boy Rank 2025 #2,381 Trend ↓ Falling 23%
Rank 2025
#2,381
among boys · ↓47 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
58
named Nolen · -5% vs 2024
How common
1 in 29,450
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2009
110 babies
All-time total
3,458
#2,303 all-time among boys
First recorded
1892
in Social Security records

Nolen popularity over time

3,458 babies have been named Nolen since 1892, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.020.040.060.0818801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – – – –
1890s – 7 7 1 – #925
1900s – 16 16 2 +129% #1,294
1910s – 183 183 18 +1044% #1,203
1920s – 287 287 29 +57% #1,207
1930s – 221 221 22 -23% #1,221
1940s – 190 190 19 -14% #1,391
1950s – 160 160 16 -16% #1,670
1960s – 95 95 10 -41% #2,084
1970s – 75 75 8 -21% #2,972
1980s – 131 131 13 +75% #2,551
1990s – 213 213 21 +63% #2,185
2000s – 648 648 65 +204% #1,516
2010s 5 841 846 85 +31% #1,608
2020s (to 2025) 5 381 386 64 -24% #2,060

Where Nolen is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 56 0.03 outside top 500
2027 54 0.03 outside top 500
2028 52 0.03 outside top 500
2029 51 0.03 outside top 500
2030 50 0.03 outside top 500

The story of Nolen

Nolen is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #2,381 in 2025 with 58 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1892, 3,458 American babies have been named Nolen. Its peak came in 2009, when 110 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2000s.

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 Nolen stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Nolen?

The median living Nolen is about 16 years old; half are between 9 and 28. An estimated 2,600 people named Nolen are alive in the United States today.

median 16 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Nolen 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 – – 58 #2,381
2024 – – 61 #2,334
2023 5 #16,961 52 #2,570
2022 – – 72 #2,091
2021 – – 69 #2,103
2020 – – 69 #2,060
2019 – – 79 #1,895
2018 – – 82 #1,850
2017 – – 72 #1,995
2016 – – 91 #1,718
2015 – – 88 #1,749
2014 5 #18,509 77 #1,899
2013 – – 79 #1,823
2012 – – 93 #1,663
2011 – – 82 #1,775
2010 – – 98 #1,608
2009 – – 110 #1,516
2008 – – 84 #1,786
2007 – – 98 #1,604
2006 – – 61 #2,141
2005 – – 58 #2,122
2004 – – 64 #1,924
2003 – – 45 #2,383
2002 – – 49 #2,185
2001 – – 45 #2,268
2000 – – 34 #2,721
1995 – – 15 #4,213
1990 – – 17 #3,562
1985 – – 13 #3,543
1980 – – 8 #4,824
1975 – – 6 #5,267
1970 – – 6 #4,576
1965 – – 8 #3,170
1960 – – 6 #3,942
1955 – – 21 #1,714
1950 – – 16 #1,931
1945 – – 15 #1,832
1940 – – 24 #1,391
1935 – – 19 #1,638
1930 – – 28 #1,388
1925 – – 30 #1,352
1920 – – 35 #1,229
1915 – – 27 #1,295
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – 5 #1,444
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Nolen, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Nolen?

The median living Nolen is about 16 years old. Half of all living Nolens are between 9 and 28 years old.

How many people named Nolen are alive today?

An estimated 2,600 people named Nolen are alive in the United States, based on 3,458 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Nolen in 2025?

Nolen ranked #2,381 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 58 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Nolen?

3,458 babies have been named Nolen in the United States since 1892, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Nolen most popular?

Nolen peaked in 2009, when 110 newborns received the name.

Is Nolen a boy or girl name?

Nolen is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Nolen rising or falling?

Nolen is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Nolen become more popular?

Nolen is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 50 boys named Nolen in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Nolen

Names that sound and feel close to Nolen: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Nolen with similar names → More names starting with N →