Total births
135,505
Boys' name · since 1881
Nolan
135,505 babies named Nolan in U.S. Social Security records since 1881, with the highest year being 2015. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #64
- among boys today
- 135,505
- born since 1881
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 99.6%
- more common than other boys
135,505 babies have been named Nolan since 1881, making it today's #64 boys' name.
Nolan has 135,505 recorded births among boys since 1881, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #64 as of the latest data, more common than 99.6% of boys, busiest in the 2010s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1881 to 2025.
- #64 among boys today
- 135,505 born since 1881
- 2010s peak decade
- 99.6% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Nolan is currently the #64 boys' name in America, more common than 99.6% of boys - 135,505 born since 1881, peaking in the 2010s.
- #64
- among boys today
- 135,505
- born since 1881
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 99.6%
- more common than other boys
Nolan vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#64
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 99.6% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
37% of everyone ever named Nolan was born in this single decade.
2015
Single peak year
5,739 babies were named Nolan in 2015 - its busiest year on record.
How Nolan compares
135,505 Top 2% higher than 98% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Nolan's all-time total is 369x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Nolan | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 135,505 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 5,739 | 23 | 22,252 |
Nolan's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Nolan's full recorded timeline at 1956, 94% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 6% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1881, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2015 peak of 5,739 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Nolan at a glance
Top 100 boys' namePeak year
2015
Current rank
#64
Active since
1881
Nolan popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1881–2025
- Peak year (2015)
- 5,739
- Annual births at peak, across 145 years of records
Nolan popularity over time - girls
556 total births recorded since 1911 (Nolan as girls' name)
Nolan by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Nolan's strongest decade.
50,045 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 37% of all-time use.
Nolan births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 31
1880s
31 births
- 1890s 75
1890s
75 births
- 1900s 174
1900s
174 births
- 1910s 1,021
1910s
1,021 births
- 1920s 1,674
1920s
1,674 births
- 1930s 1,822
1930s
1,822 births
- 1940s 2,003
1940s
2,003 births
- 1950s 1,960
1950s
1,960 births
- 1960s 1,494
1960s
1,494 births
- 1970s 2,006
1970s
2,006 births
- 1980s 4,678
1980s
4,678 births
- 1990s 11,791
1990s
11,791 births
- 2000s
2000s
26,374 births
- 2010s
2010s
50,045 births
- 2020s
2020s
30,357 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 50,045 births (37% of all-time use).
How Nolan compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Nolan's total volume
Nolan vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Nolan by state
Where Nolan concentrates geographically, total births since 1881
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 12,880 | 9.5% |
| #2 | Texas | | 10,062 | 7.4% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 6,279 | 4.6% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 6,228 | 4.6% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 6,117 | 4.5% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 6,020 | 4.4% |
| #7 | New York | | 5,227 | 3.9% |
| #8 | Florida | | 4,758 | 3.5% |
California share of Nolan's total US births 9.5%
Even split
12,880 of 135,505 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Nolan appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Nolan? ▼
135,505 babies have been named Nolan since 1881. It currently ranks #64 among boys. The peak year was 2015 with 5,739 births.
When was Nolan most popular? ▼
Nolan was most popular in the 2010s decade with 50,045 total births. The single peak year was 2015.
Where is Nolan most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Nolan are California (12,880 births), Texas (10,062 births), Illinois (6,279 births).
How long has the name Nolan been used? ▼
Records for Nolan go back to 1881, giving 145 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Nolan? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Nolen, Noland, Nolyn, Nolberto, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Nolan's data
- Nolan's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (50,045 total births) through the 2020s (30,357) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Nolans (12,880 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Nolan
Nearby Names Like Nolan
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Nolan
Nolen Boy
#2316 3,448 births
Noland Boy
#5927 1,778 births
Nolyn Boy
#3666 802 births
Nolberto Boy
#9110 615 births
Nolin Boy
#5939 507 births
Compare Nolan side by side: Nolan vs Nolen Nolan vs Noland Nolan vs Nolyn
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Nolan
Angel #63
265,886 births · Peak 2006
Waylon #65
55,048 births · Peak 2025
Nathan #62
587,497 births · Peak 2004
Cameron #66
312,661 births · Peak 2000
Christopher #61
2,069,596 births · Peak 1984
Brooks #67
57,946 births · Peak 2025
Bennett #60
72,514 births · Peak 2025
Andrew #68
1,329,454 births · Peak 1987
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1881–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Nolan: #64 Boys' Name - 135,505 Births, Peak 2015." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/nolan. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Nolan draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.