UK name, mostly boys
Keelan
A masculine name of Irish origin, meaning "slender" or "fair".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Keelan is mostly registered for boys in the UK records. People looking for Keelan popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1675, with 15 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2004, with 110 births.
This profile covers 1,674 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 14% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 1,987 living people in the UK are called Keelan. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Keelan ranked #1675 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 15 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2004, when 110 boys were registered as Keelan.
- • Keelan ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #348 in 2023.
- • About 1,987 living people in the UK are estimated to have Keelan as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 99.6% of Keelan registrations are for boys.
Latest rank (E&W)
#1675
2024
Births in 2024
15
Latest year
Peak year
2004
110 births
Estimated living
1,987
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Keelan
In England and Wales birth records, Keelan has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 99.6% of registrations are for boys and 0.4% are for girls.
These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.
Keelan registered for boys
- Ranked #1,675 in 2024
- 15 boys registered in 2024
- Peak: 2004 (110 births)
Keelan registered for girls
- Ranked #5,545 in 2008
- 3 girls registered in 2008
- Peak: 1999 (3 births)
Meaning
What does Keelan mean?
The name Keelan is derived from the Irish Gaelic name Caolán, which means "slender" or "lean". It is believed to have originated in Ireland during the medieval period, possibly as early as the 5th or 6th century AD.
The name is closely linked to Irish culture and heritage, with its roots tracing back to the ancient Gaelic language spoken in Ireland for centuries. The earliest recorded use of the name Keelan is found in Irish historical records and genealogies from the Middle Ages.
One of the earliest documented individuals with the name Keelan was Keelan of Glendalough, an Irish monk and scribe who lived in the 6th century AD. He is known for his contributions to the preservation of ancient Irish literature and religious texts at the Glendalough monastery.
Another notable figure in history with the name Keelan was Keelan O'Reilly, an Irish chieftain and leader of the O'Reilly clan in County Cavan, Ireland, during the 16th century. He played a significant role in the Irish Confederate Wars against English rule in the 1640s.
In the 19th century, Keelan Corrigan was an Irish-American labor leader and activist who fought for workers' rights and better working conditions in New York City. He was born in County Cavan, Ireland, in 1824 and later immigrated to the United States.
Keelan Foley was an Irish-born American baseball player who played for the Philadelphia Athletics and the Boston Red Sox in the early 20th century. He was born in County Sligo, Ireland, in 1888 and had a career in Major League Baseball from 1911 to 1915.
Another notable figure with the name Keelan was Keelan Wynn, an Irish-American journalist and author who was born in County Mayo, Ireland, in 1937. He worked as a foreign correspondent for various publications and wrote several books about his experiences covering conflicts and global events.
Throughout history, the name Keelan has maintained its strong connection to Irish culture and heritage, with many individuals bearing this name making significant contributions in various fields, from religion and literature to politics and sports.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Keelan over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Keelan in England and Wales, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Keelan, the clearest high point is 2004. The latest England and Wales figure is 15 births in 2024, compared with 110 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Keelan by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Keelan was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #1688 | 78 | 5 |
| 2010s | #771 | 459 | 10 |
| 2000s | #396 | 798 | 10 |
| 1990s | #305 | 339 | 4 |
Geography
Where Keelan is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Keelan. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Keelan ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #348 in 2023.
Across the UK
Keelan in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#727 in 2024
20 years of NRS records, 83 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#348 in 2023
26 years of NISRA records, 247 total registered
Related
Names similar to Keelan
- Kieran 30,429
- Kyle 28,463
- Kai 24,432
- Kian 17,666
- Kayden 8,305
- Kevin 7,927
- Kane 7,149
- Kaiden 5,762
- Kieron 4,547
- Kacper 4,366
- Kye 4,012
- Kit 3,529
FAQ
Keelan: questions and answers
How popular is the name Keelan in the UK right now?
In 2024, Keelan was ranked #1675 for boys in England and Wales, with 15 births registered.
When was Keelan most popular?
The peak year on record was 2004, with 110 babies registered as Keelan in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Keelan?
A masculine name of Irish origin, meaning "slender" or "fair".
How many people are called Keelan in the UK?
A total of 1,674 babies have been registered as Keelan across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 83 more in Scotland and 247 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Keelan most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Keelan ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #348 in 2023. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.