Baby Name of the Day: Conan

The baby name Conan started out a saintly Irish name, took a turn towards the barbarian, and now might be ready for reconsideration.

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

WHAT DOES THE NAME CONAN MEAN?

The baby name Conan is Irish. It means little wolf, or maybe little hound.

Just like Ronan is little seal and Aidan is little fire, that -an ending is regularly used in traditional Irish names.

Irish myth includes Conan mac Morna, a friend and ally of Finn McCool.

CONAN IN THE HISTORY BOOKS

A handful of notable figures answer to the name, beginning in the sixth and seventh centuries, including:

• Saint Conan, who served as Bishop of the Isle of Man. There are at least two other saints by the same name. 
• Geoffrey of Monmouth tells us that Conan Meriadoc founded Brittany. There may be some truth to this, but most of Monmouth’s writing is a mix of legend and fiction. 
• Despite that, powerful Breton families using descent from Conan as a reason to establish their rule. During the 990s, Conan I of Rennes became the first Duke of Brittany. At least three of his successors also answered to Conan into the 1100s.

And so the name filtered into use across the centuries.

SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, author of the enduring Sherlock Holmes stories, was born in 1859. His full name was Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle. 

The bonus middle name honors his great-uncle and godfather, Michael Conan. The Conan family traced their roots to Brittany.

Few characters are as immortal as Sherlock Holmes, re-invented generation after generation. 

The author lends the baby name Conan a sort of sharp, literary energy.

CONAN the BARBARIAN

You might also hear the baby name Conan and automatically add “the Barbarian.”

During the 1930s, writer Robert E. Howard created Conan the Cimmerian in a series of stories for the magazine Tales of the Weird. Howard’s Conan used his strength and cunning to win all sorts of fights. Sometimes a pirate or part of a robber band, Conan eventually became a king.

Howard set his adventures in a fictional world not unlike our own. He even wrote a detailed history to help center Conan’s adventures.

After Howard’s death, other writers continued up the character’s adventures. Conan continues to appear in books, comics, video games, television series, and, of course, movies.

In 1982, a young Arnold Schwarzenegger starred in the title role of a big screen adaptation. Conan the Barbarian was a hit, combining elements from different Conan tales. A 1984 sequel followed.

Jason Momoa hefted the sword as a new Conan in 2011, but the reboot was far less successful.

Schwarzenegger’s performance defined the name for much of the 1980s and 90s. It took the baby name Conan away from its Gaelic origins and medieval history and placed it in the realm of fantasy.

CONAN O’BRIEN and MORE

When it comes to famous bearers of the name Conan, few are as familiar as Irish-American comedian and talk show host Conan O’Brien.

The Harvard alum worked as a writer for Saturday Night Live and The Simpsons before getting his first late night talk show in 1993.

He’s been on television nearly ever year since. His current project is HBO Max’s Conan Must Go, a travel series.

O’Brien makes the name a little bit intellectual, quite current, and restores its Irish roots, too.

O’Brien might also deserve credit for more men with the name, including singer Conan Gray, born in 1998.

A handful of pop culture references have also expanded the name’s image, including Japanese manga Detective Conan and France’s Capitaine Conan, from historical fiction.

HOW POPULAR IS THE NAME CONAN?

Let’s talk about Conan’s popularity.

The name has never ranked in the US Top 1000. 

Despite the popularity of Irish names like Conor and Connor, traditional Conrad, surnames like Connery and Conlan, as well as all those boys’ names ending with -AN, the baby name Conan remains uncommon. 

It debuted in the US Social Security Administration data in the year 1923, with seven births.  

As the popularity of the fictional character increased, so did Conan’s use as a given name.

In 1982 – the year the original movie premiered – marked 40 newborn boys named Conan, a peak. 54 boys received the baby name Conan in 2012, a year following the reboot.

But the name’s image has shifted in recent years, too, moving away from a sword-wielding, muscular hero and taking on a lighter vibe.

As of 2024, Conan’s popularity stood at 76 births – still uncommon, but not truly rare anymore.

SURPRISING IRISH HERITAGE OPTION

The baby name Conan feels equal parts muscular and brainy. It’s a name that suggests strength, but also wit. 

The name mixes influences nicely – a warrior, an author, a comedian.

In terms of sound, the baby name Conan could fit right in with Cole and Rowan, Carson and Owen.

But it never sacrifices ties to Irish legend and folklore. If you’re after inspiration that nods to Ireland, Conan has potential. 

What do you think of the baby name Conan?

First published on December 23, 2011, this post was revised substantially and re-published on November 30, 2021 and again on June 3, 2025.