Nolan

NO-lan

Irish

"champion"

Nolan Origin and Meaning

The name Nolan is a boy's name of Irish origin meaning "champion".

The friendly and sporty feeling Nolan blends some of the best qualities of other popular boy names. With the gentle but energetic sounds of Noah, a hint of the classic Nicholas, and the cool, surname-style vibe of Greyson or Colton, it makes for a familiar and grounded choice.

Popularized by the baseball player, Nolan Ryan, Nolan has been steadily climbing up the charts since the 1970s, and it entered the US Top 100 in 2011. While it has never been a Top 50 name, it is given to a substantial 5000 babies every year.

Nolan is the Anglicized form of the Irish name Nuallán, meaning “noble and famous” or “champion.”

This could give you the fun option of nickname Champ, while also providing the name with weight and history: the O’Nolans were once a chiefly Irish family, descended from the first Celts to settle in Ireland.

A once very American feeling choice, Nolan is now more popular in France and Canada. It is on the rise in England and Wales too, a favorite in The Netherlands and Belgium, and at #22 in Hungary (albeit with the Hungarian spelling, Nolen).

Notable Nolans include the fashion designer, Nolan Miller; the Modern Family actor, Nolan Gould; Marvel and DC voice actor, Nolan North; and the actor and singer Nolan Gerard Funk of Glee fame. Some may associate it with the Nolan Chart, a political spectrum diagram invented in the 60’s, while others may be more familiar with Nolan Chance, from the game Fortnite.

Familiar and cool, grounded and approachable, Nolan continues to hold its steady place in the lower end of the US Top 100.

Do you love Nolan but want some more inspiration? Other names inspired by Irish surnames include Nevan, Blaine, Riordan, Donnovan, and Callahan. For names that share a similar sound, Bowen, Milan, Noel, or Roland might appeal.

Nolan Rank in US Top 1000

# 57 in the US

Nolan Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

# 99 on Nameberry

Nolan Popularity

• 57 US 2023
• 99 Nameberry 2024
• 37 Canada 2023
• 37 Future 2028
• 421 England 2021
• 49 France 2023
• 75 Netherlands 2023
• 93 Belgium 2023
• 115 Switzerland 2023

20 Names Similar to Nolan

These 20 names were selected by our users that were looking for other names like Nolan.

• Graham
• Hudson
• Landon
• Holden
• Declan
• Ronan
• Emmett
• Everett
• Owen
• Wyatt
• Cole
• Bennett
• Logan
• Grant
• Gavin
• Rowan
• Lincoln
• Harrison
• Noah
• Liam

Famous People Named Nolan

• (Lynn) Nolan Ryan American baseball pitcher
• Nolan Gould American child actor
• Nolan Kay Bushnell American engineer and entrepreneur
• Nolan Alexander Carroll American NFL player
• Nolan Gallagher Reimold American baseball player
• Nolan Neil Cromwell American NFL football coach
• Nolan Bertrandoff Miller American fashion designer
• Nolan North American voice actor
• Nolan James Arenado American baseball player
• Nolan Richardson American basketball coach
• Nolan Roux French footballer
• Nolan Derek Smith American basketball player
• Nolan Gerard Funk Canadian Actor
• Nolan Sotillo American actor
• Nolan Emme Youtube personality
• Sydney Nolan Australian artist famous for his Ned Kelly paintings
• Christopher Nolan British,American director
• Jonathan "Jonah" Nolan British,American screenwriter, brother of Christopher Nolan
• Nolan River Nicholas (b. 2011) son of actor Thomas Ian Nicholas & DJ Colette
• Nolan Chesnut (b. 2005) son of actress Molly Shannon and artist Fritz Chesnut
• Nolan James Crosby (b. 2010) son of NFL player Mason Crosby
• Nolan Kennedy Ward (b. 2010) son of ice hockey player Cam Ward
• Nolan Luca (b. 2014) son of YouTuber britneyandbaby

Nolan in Pop Culture

• Nolan Ross character on TV's "Revenge"
• Nolan Hotchkiss character in Sara Shepard's "The Perfectionists" and "The Good Girls"