baby name NolanThe baby name Nolan mixes a lively Irish spirit with a very American vibe.

Thanks to Carolyn for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day.

CHAMPION

The Irish given name Nuallán became Nolan in English.

The first element – nuall –  means noble or champion. Tack on that familiar -an suffix and it becomes a common surname choice.

Like many last names, it sometimes appears as a first, even before it became a favorite.

NOLAN RYAN

One famous Nolan put this name on everybody’s radar: baseball great Nolan Ryan.

Born Lynn Nolan Ryan Jr., he made his professional baseball debut in 1966 with the New York Mets.

In 1999, the pitcher was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Ryan remained active in the sport, as president of the Texas Rangers and later an advisor to the Houston Astros.

He remains among the best known figures in baseball of our time.

BY THE NUMBERS

While Ryan clearly influenced the rise of Nolan, he didn’t single-handedly introduce it to parents.

Instead, the baby name Nolan has ranked in the US Top 1000 every since years 1899. But it remained relatively rare, never charting higher than the upper 300s, and usually well above that mark.

As a last name and a first, it’s been worn by many athletes, as well as fashion designer Nolan Miller, who helped define the extravagant look of 80s television staples like Dynasty, and actors, too.

The name’s biggest bump came in 1979. But instead of a new factor, we’re back to baseball. That’s the year Nolan Ryan signed a record-breaking contract with the Houston Astros. Even if you weren’t a baseball fan, chances are you heard that Ryan had become the first player to earn a million dollars a year.

Since 1979, the baby name Nolan began a slow and steady climb. In 2011, it entered the US Top 100 at #92. All these years later, it’s still there, coming in at #61 in 2020.

KEVIN and BRIAN, RYAN and AIDAN

The baby name Nolan follows logically from earlier generations of Irish favorites. Kevin and Brian grew up to name their sons Ryan and Brendan.

Eventually, a new generation of Irish-influenced names – also two-syllables and ending-with-n – would rise.

Aidan and Aiden defined the early twenty-first century.

But the baby name Nolan fit right in, too. It’s distinctive – few names sound exactly like it. And yet it fits with so many favorites, like Rowan and Cole. And it’s only a sound away from Biblical chart-topper Noah, too.

SPORTING FAVORITE

The baseball Hall-of-Famer left his mark. The baby name Nolan sounds sporty and upbeat.

But it’s not just a name for a kid bent on making varsity.

Fiction has given us very different Nolans, like the tech guru on Revenge. There’s also a character called Nolan in hit novel-turned-movie Ready Player One. He, in turn, is named for video game company founder Nolan Bushnell, who co-founded Atari in 1972. Nathan Fillion currently plays police officer John Nolan on ABC’s The Rookie. 

We watched actor Nolan Gould grow up as Luke Dunphy on Modern Family.

If you’re looking for a friendly, accessible name with an Irish lilt, Nolan might belong on your list.

What do you think of the baby name Nolan?

First published on February 12, 2011, this post was revised substantially and re-published on June 2, 2021.

boy name Nolan

About Abby Sandel

Whether you're naming a baby, or just all about names, you've come to the right place! Appellation Mountain is a haven for lovers of obscure gems and enduring classics alike.

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What do you think?

22 Comments

  1. If I had a son tomorrow he would definitely be named Nolan. I love this name so much and I hope to use it some day!

  2. Just wanted to update that we welcomed our little Nolan Curtis on March 10th–and the name couldn’t be more perfect for him!

  3. I quite like the name, and am a bit disappointed (in that weird name nerd way) about its growing popularity. Happy to see the name finding love in a lot of families, but bummed to see it going out to the masses. Oh well, haha.

    I also love Nola/Finola so much a girl I know I’d never use Nolan. It was one of those names that used to make my long list, but never the final cuts. And now with a friend with the name, it seems off limits.

  4. I just thought of another positive association for the name: Francie Nolan was the protagonist of one of my all-time favorite books, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.

    1. Francie Nolan is where I first saw the name, so I share the same positive association. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is also one of my all-time favorite books–and Francie Nolan one of the best characters in literature.

  5. I personally am very disappointed at the growing popularity of this name. Already it feels tired to me, which is unfortunate because it has positive associations for me. I knew one Nolan growing up who was from a distinguished Southern family. He was a very masculine but quiet and polite sort of young man (which is saying a lot for a teenage boy). I think, because of him, the name has a bit of distinguished charm to it for me.

  6. Not a fan, I guess I’m over names ending in -n, plus when they already start with n, it seems too much. Probably why I never liked Nathan before, Nolan is pretty much the same way for me.

  7. I’m the Carolyn who suggested the name (and is considering it for our son, due in a month!)–thanks, Abby, for the interesting, in-depth look into the name!

    We already have a Meredith, and Nolan seems to fit well with that…we think?! It’s kind of a compromise name for us; hubby’s favorite is Lincoln, but I can’t seem to warm all the way up to it. My favorite is Thatcher, but he flat out hates that. Dashiell is something we’ve considered also, but it may be too “out there” for the part of the Midwest we live in.

    When I think of a Nolan (I’ve only known one, in college) I picture someone friendly and warm–think that’s what draws me back to this one over and over! I’m not crazy about the “ending in -n” sound…but I can live with it in this case, I think…!

    Thanks again, Abby!!