gender neutral
Nolan
famous, renowned
About Nolan
Nolan achieves that coveted sweet spot where traditional meets contemporary, familiar meets distinctive, and strong meets approachable. This Irish treasure has gained steady appreciation among discerning parents seeking names with cultural richness and modern accessibility. The two-syllable structure provides perfect balance—substantial enough for gravitas yet concise enough for ease. Nolan carries an inherently friendly quality while maintaining undeniable sophistication, working seamlessly from playground to boardroom. The name has adorned athletes, filmmakers, and scholars, demonstrating remarkable versatility across fields and personalities. Its Celtic roots connect to heritage and history without limiting its universal appeal. Nolan pronounces identically across languages and accents, eliminating confusion in our increasingly global society. Parents selecting Nolan often appreciate names that feel established rather than trendy, classic rather than fleeting. The 'o' gives the name an open, welcoming sound while the 'n' bookends provide structural strength. Nolan suggests intelligence and creativity, determination and adaptability—qualities valuable in any era. Its rising but not overwhelming popularity means your son will occasionally meet fellow Nolans without feeling his identity lost in the crowd.
Popularity of the Name Nolan
Rank among the 1,000 most popular baby names, by year.
| United States | United Kingdom | New Zealand | Ireland | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1881 | #969 | ||||
| 1884 | #823 | ||||
| 1887 | #665 | ||||
| 1892 | #734 | ||||
| 1893 | #743 | ||||
| 1894 | #618 | ||||
| 1895 | #847 | ||||
| 1896 | #811 | ||||
| 1897 | #633 | ||||
| 1899 | #695 | ||||
| 1900 | #641 | ||||
| 1901 | #667 | ||||
| 1902 | #577 | ||||
| 1903 | #764 | ||||
| 1904 | #531 | ||||
| 1905 | #584 | ||||
| 1906 | #514 | ||||
| 1907 | #491 | ||||
| 1908 | #675 | ||||
| 1909 | #494 | ||||
| 1910 | #509 | ||||
| 1911 | #529 | ||||
| 1912 | #501 | ||||
| 1913 | #458 | ||||
| 1914 | #465 | ||||
| 1915 | #514 | ||||
| 1916 | #466 | ||||
| 1917 | #468 | ||||
| 1918 | #528 | ||||
| 1919 | #490 | ||||
| 1920 | #486 | ||||
| 1921 | #446 | ||||
| 1922 | #457 | ||||
| 1923 | #460 | ||||
| 1924 | #484 | ||||
| 1925 | #479 | ||||
| 1926 | #464 | ||||
| 1927 | #464 | ||||
| 1928 | #486 | ||||
| 1929 | #492 | ||||
| 1930 | #438 | ||||
| 1931 | #450 | ||||
| 1932 | #408 | ||||
| 1933 | #425 | ||||
| 1934 | #400 | ||||
| 1935 | #399 | ||||
| 1936 | #436 | ||||
| 1937 | #419 | ||||
| 1938 | #404 | ||||
| 1939 | #398 | ||||
| 1940 | #384 | ||||
| 1941 | #441 | ||||
| 1942 | #448 | ||||
| 1943 | #436 | ||||
| 1944 | #423 | ||||
| 1945 | #450 | ||||
| 1946 | #459 | ||||
| 1947 | #476 | ||||
| 1948 | #451 | ||||
| 1949 | #451 | ||||
| 1950 | #449 | ||||
| 1951 | #493 | ||||
| 1952 | #476 | ||||
| 1953 | #513 | ||||
| 1954 | #510 | ||||
| 1955 | #517 | ||||
| 1956 | #531 | ||||
| 1957 | #568 | ||||
| 1958 | #575 | ||||
| 1959 | #577 | ||||
| 1960 | #607 | ||||
| 1961 | #619 | ||||
| 1962 | #653 | ||||
| 1963 | #628 | ||||
| 1964 | #612 | ||||
| 1965 | #704 | ||||
| 1966 | #593 | ||||
| 1967 | #668 | ||||
| 1968 | #627 | ||||
| 1969 | #629 | ||||
| 1970 | #606 | ||||
| 1971 | #581 | ||||
| 1972 | #667 | ||||
| 1973 | #595 | ||||
| 1974 | #622 | ||||
| 1975 | #569 | ||||
| 1976 | #572 | ||||
| 1977 | #569 | ||||
| 1978 | #509 | ||||
| 1979 | #521 | ||||
| 1980 | #465 | ||||
| 1981 | #418 | ||||
| 1982 | #397 | ||||
| 1983 | #379 | ||||
| 1984 | #352 | ||||
| 1985 | #379 | ||||
| 1986 | #384 | ||||
| 1987 | #396 | ||||
| 1988 | #388 | ||||
| 1989 | #365 | ||||
| 1990 | #302 | ||||
| 1991 | #257 | #175 | |||
| 1992 | #246 | #166 | |||
| 1993 | #250 | #179 | |||
| 1994 | #260 | #199 | |||
| 1995 | #263 | #184 | |||
| 1996 | #257 | #153 | |||
| 1997 | #236 | #127 | |||
| 1998 | #233 | #135 | |||
| 1999 | #211 | #126 | |||
| 2000 | #182 | #103 | |||
| 2001 | #180 | #101 | |||
| 2002 | #172 | #93 | |||
| 2003 | #175 | #78 | |||
| 2004 | #162 | #67 | |||
| 2005 | #149 | #72 | |||
| 2006 | #146 | #76 | |||
| 2007 | #133 | #66 | |||
| 2008 | #131 | #70 | |||
| 2009 | #122 | #68 | |||
| 2010 | #104 | #70 | |||
| 2011 | #92 | #60 | |||
| 2012 | #89 | #52 | |||
| 2013 | #86 | #724 | #519 | #45 | |
| 2014 | #81 | #773 | #40 | ||
| 2015 | #71 | #574 | #442 | #820 | #41 |
| 2016 | #67 | #561 | #844 | #40 | |
| 2017 | #67 | #587 | #370 | #810 | #32 |
| 2018 | #65 | #516 | #33 | ||
| 2019 | #65 | #544 | #844 | #31 | |
| 2020 | #61 | #542 | #451 | #32 | |
| 2021 | #60 | #412 | #412 | #36 | |
| 2022 | #65 | #437 | #31 | ||
| 2023 | #57 | #357 | #602 | #38 | |
| 2024 | #64 | #334 | #490 | #34 | |
| 2025 | #65 | #287 | #293 | #533 | #35 |
Top names by country: United States · United Kingdom · New Zealand · Ireland · Canada
Variations of Name Nolan
Names Similar to Nolan
Nicknames for Nolan
- Nol
- Noly
- No
- Nole
- N
Famous People Named Nolan
| Nolan Ryan | Hall of Fame baseball pitcher |
| Nolan Gould | American actor |
| Nolan North | American actor and voice artist |
| Nolan Bushnell | Founder of Atari |
| Nolan Richardson | Former basketball coach |
| Nolan Smith | Former NBA player |
| Nolan Arenado | Professional baseball player |
| Nolan Dalla | American writer and poker player |
| Nolan Nawrocki | NFL draft analyst |
| Nolan Richardson III | American basketball coach |
| Nolan Cromwell | Former NFL player and coach |
| Nolan Reimold | Former MLB player |
| Nolan Carroll | Former NFL player |
| Nolan T. Jones | American entrepreneur |
| Nolan D. Archibald | Former CEO of Black & Decker |
| Nolan Gerard Funk | Canadian actor and singer |
| Nolan Sotillo | American actor and musician |
| Nolan Hemmings | English actor |
| Nolan Roux | French footballer |
| Nolan Winter | American artist and author |
Characters Named Nolan
| Nolan Sorrento | Novel and film character from "Ready Player One" |
| Nolan Burgess | TV series "Person of Interest" |
| Nolan Ross | TV series "Revenge" |
| Nolan Stross | Video game character from "Dead Space 2" |
| Nolan Booth | TV series "The Booth at the End" |
| Nolan Keats | Video game character from "Assassin's Creed Unity" |
| Nolan Grayson | TV series "Utopia Falls" |
| Nolan Gerard Funk | Character in the movie "Hello, My Name Is Doris" |
| Nolan Hotchkiss | TV series "Pretty Little Liars - The Perfectionists" |
| Nolan Stucker | Film character from "The Visit" |
| Nolan Sheridan | TV series "Teen Wolf" |
| Nolan York | TV series "The Event" |
| Nolan Kinnard | TV series "Teen Wolf" |