Phelan

FAY-lan
Irish
"wolf"

Phelan Origin and Meaning

The name Phelan is a boy's name of Irish origin meaning "wolf".

Phelan, pronounced FAY-lan or FEE-lan, is an appealing Irish surname name, with a rich history in Irish myth and religious and secular life. One bearer was a fiercely loyal follower of the legendary warrior Finn MacCool, another was a missionary saint.

The first name Phelan figures in an O'Henry story, "Between Rounds"; and in The Help, Skeeter's surname is Phelan. In Irish, the name is spelled Faolan.

# 1270 on Nameberry

Phelan Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

Phelan Popularity

Famous People Named Phelan

  • Phelan Beale
    American attorney; husband of to Edith Ewing Bouvier; uncle of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, portrayed in film "Grey Gardens"
  • Phelan Beale
    Jr., American journalist; son of Phelan and Edith Bouvier Beale
  • Phelan Simpson
    Canadian pair skater
  • Phelan Kane
    American pair skater
  • Phelan "Phelous" Porteous
    Internet movie reviewer

Phelan in Pop Culture

  • Phelan Rapp
    dog turned Rat in "Provost's Dog" series by Tamora Pierce
  • Phelan
    minor character on TV's Battlestar Galactica
  • Pat Phelan
    murderer and villain on English Soap 'Coronation Street'