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Updated March 7, 2024

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Boy name origins & meanings

  • Irish : Renowned, noble
  • Scottish : Famous, a champion

What does Nolan mean and stand for?

The name Nolan is of Irish origin and means "champion." Nolan was traditionally used as an Irish surname before gaining popularity as a given name.

Syllables: 2

Boy name variations

Nolen

Nolen

+ 4% this year
Masculine
Rare
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Nolin

Nolin

- 26% this year
Masculine
Rare
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Nolyn

Nolyn

- 6% this year
Masculine
Rare
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Nowlan

Nowlan

0 % this year
Masculine
Rare
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How Popular Is The Name Nolan

Family name origins & meanings

  • Irish (Leinster and Munster) : Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Nualláin ‘descendant of Nuallán’, a personal name representing a diminutive of nuall ‘famous’, ‘noble’.

Famous people who gave their babies this name

Popularity

According to Social Security Administration data, Nolan has been consistently popular, maintaining a spot in the top 70 since 2016, making quite the jump from 181 in 2000.

However, it is the 13th most popular name on FamilyEducation.com.

According to Google search data analysis, in the last five years Nolan was at its peak popularity in January 2020.

Nolan is widely used in Canada, Belgium, and France, but has consistently been in the top 100 for America, as well. It's a popular name for actors and athletes including Nolan Miller, Nolan Ryan, Nolan Gould, Nolan Hemmings, and Nolan Thomas. The name has also been chosen for characters on Revenge, Teen Wolf, Bruce Almighty, and Ready Player One. Molly Shannon chose the name Nolan for her son.

Where is it Popular?

Nolan was searched for most often in the following states:

Nicknames for Nolan

  • Nolie
  • Nolls
  • NoNo

Pairs well with these middle names

 

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