Callan
Callan was the 190th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 1,917 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 497 places. More babies were named Callan in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning Origin uncertain · Irish, Scottish Gaelic
Say it KAL-uhn /ˈkælən/
- Rank in 2025
- #190 boys, up 244 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 1,917boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20251,917 babies
- Total since 1880
- 12,634babies recorded
What does the name Callan mean?
Callan is an Irish and Scottish surname. Wiktionary and Wikipedia derive it from Ó Cathaláin, 'descendant of Cathalán', a pet form of the Irish name Cathal; Wikipedia adds that it can also come from the Gaelic Mac Allin or Mac Callin. Cathal is usually explained as 'strong in battle', but our sources do not give that gloss. As a first name it is a recent transfer from the surname.
Ó Cathaláin (Irish, “descendant of Cathalán”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. Several Gaelic surname sources; no gloss for Cathalán in our sources.
Related names: Callen, Callum, Cathal.
See also: Irish names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Callan', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Callan', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Nicknames for Callan
The usual nicknames for Callan are Cal. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Callan in the last five years, 32 were named Cal, against 200 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cal · also for Caleb, Calvin, Callum | Modern | #543 | 1,942 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Callans go by each one.
Callan popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,616 | #190 | 66 | 1,917 |
| 2020 | #4,568 | #434 | 29 | 686 |
| 2010 | #5,453 | #1,180 | 25 | 153 |
| 2000 | #3,897 | #3,005 | 32 | 29 |
| 1990 | #2,808 | #2,968 | 41 | 21 |
| 1980 | — | — | — | — |
| 1970 | — | — | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
How popular is Callan, counting every spelling?
Callan is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #144 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #190 for Callan on its own. Together these spellings went to 2,653 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Callan | 1,917 | #190 | 6,153 |
| Callen | 579 | #516 | 3,235 |
| Kallan | 82 | #1,912 | 313 |
| Calen | 35 | #3,323 | 228 |
| Calin | 14 | #6,190 | 110 |
| Kalin | 14 | #6,274 | 79 |
| Kallin | 7 | #10,185 | 30 |
| Callon | 5 | #12,352 | 28 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Callan?
1,917 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Callan (0.53 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Callan born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 4 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Callan.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Callan?
About 11,100 people born in the US named Callan are alive today, with a median age of 5; half are between 2 and 10. That makes Callan a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Callan by state
How common Callan was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in New Hampshire (3.6×), North Dakota (3.0×), Maine (2.9×), Rhode Island (2.8×), Massachusetts (2.7×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in District of Columbia, Louisiana, West Virginia.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Callan: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Callan, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Callan · Sibling names for Callan
Questions about the name Callan
What does Callan mean?
The origin of Callan is uncertain: several Gaelic surname sources; no gloss for Cathalán in our sources.
How popular is the name Callan?
Callan was the 190th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 1,917 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 497 places. More babies were named Callan in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Callan a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Callan in the US.
Where is Callan most popular?
In 2021–2025, Callan was most common in New Hampshire (2.57 per 1,000 boys), followed by North Dakota and Maine.