UK boy's name
Nolan
A masculine Irish name meaning "descendant of the champion".
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.
Nolan is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Nolan popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #323, with 136 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2024, with 136 births.
This profile covers 1,066 England and Wales registrations across 26 recorded years from 1998 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, 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.
Nolan is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.
We estimate that about 1,210 living people in the UK are called Nolan. 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
- • Nolan ranked #323 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 136 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2024, when 136 boys were registered as Nolan.
- • Nolan ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #290 in 2024.
- • About 1,210 living people in the UK are estimated to have Nolan as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#323
2024
Births in 2024
136
Latest year
Peak year
2024
136 births
Estimated living
1,210
2026
Meaning
What does Nolan mean?
The name Nolan has its origins in the Irish language and culture, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the old Irish word "nuall," which means "famous" or "renowned." This name was originally associated with the O'Nualláin or Nualláin clan, a prominent family from County Carlow in Ireland.
Nolan was a popular name among the Irish nobility and ruling classes in the medieval period. It appeared in various historical records and documents, including the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Nolan can be found in the 13th century, when a Nolan O'Nualláin was mentioned as a landowner in County Carlow. In the 15th century, a Nolan O'Mulloy was a prominent figure in Leinster, Ireland, and held significant influence in the region.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Nolan. One of the most famous was Sir Nolan de Nogentel (c. 1070-1144), a Norman knight who played a crucial role in the Norman conquest of England and was rewarded with lands in Cheshire and Shropshire.
Another prominent Nolan was Christopher Nolan (1470-1538), a Catholic martyr and priest who was executed during the English Reformation for refusing to acknowledge the supremacy of King Henry VIII over the Church.
In the realm of literature, Nolan Fell (1724-1801) was an Irish poet and playwright known for his satirical works and contribution to the Irish literary tradition.
The name Nolan also gained recognition in the field of science. Nolan N. Moore (1870-1953) was an American astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of variable stars and celestial mechanics.
In the world of sports, Nolan Ryan (born 1947) is a legendary American baseball pitcher who holds numerous records, including the most career strikeouts and most no-hitters in Major League Baseball history.
These are just a few examples of the many notable individuals who have carried the name Nolan throughout history, showcasing its enduring presence across various fields and cultures.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Nolan over time
The chart below shows babies named Nolan registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1998 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 Nolan, the clearest high point is 2024. The latest England and Wales figure is 136 births in 2024, compared with 136 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Nolan by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Nolan 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 | #422 | 507 | 5 |
| 2010s | #834 | 476 | 10 |
| 2000s | #2067 | 75 | 9 |
| 1990s | #2499 | 8 | 2 |
Geography
Where Nolan is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Nolan. 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.
Nolan ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #290 in 2024.
Across the UK
Nolan in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#290 in 2024
15 years of NRS records, 151 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Nolan
-
Nolan Hemmings
actor; film actor
British actor
1970-
-
Nolan Keeley
association football player
Footballer (born 1951)
1951-
-
Nolan Evans
association football player
association football player (1885-1948)
1885-1948
Related
Names similar to Nolan
- Noah 72,596
- Nathan 46,860
- Nicholas 15,983
- Nathaniel 12,151
- Niall 5,746
- Nicolas 3,825
- Nico 3,532
- Nate 2,029
- Nikodem 1,872
- Noel 1,865
- Ned 1,614
- Neo 1,563
FAQ
Nolan: questions and answers
How popular is the name Nolan in the UK right now?
In 2024, Nolan was ranked #323 for boys in England and Wales, with 136 births registered.
When was Nolan most popular?
The peak year on record was 2024, with 136 babies registered as Nolan in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Nolan?
A masculine Irish name meaning "descendant of the champion".
How many people are called Nolan in the UK?
A total of 1,066 babies have been registered as Nolan across the 26 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 151 more in Scotland.
Where is Nolan most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Nolan ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #290 in 2024. 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.