Total births
2,732
Boys' name · since 1895
Olan
Since 1895, U.S. Social Security records show 2,732 babies named Olan, peaking in 1920. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #4585
- among boys today
- 2,732
- born since 1895
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 68%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Olan is the #4585 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 2,732 recorded since 1895.
Olan has 2,732 recorded births among boys since 1895, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #4585 as of the latest data, more common than 68% of boys, busiest in the 1920s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1895 to 2025.
- #4585 among boys today
- 2,732 born since 1895
- 1920s peak decade
- 68% more common than other boys
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
Olan is currently the #4585 boys' name in America, more common than 68% of boys - 2,732 born since 1895, peaking in the 1920s.
- #4585
- among boys today
- 2,732
- born since 1895
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 68%
- more common than other boys
Olan vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#4585
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 68% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
19% of everyone ever named Olan was born in this single decade.
1920
Single peak year
69 babies were named Olan in 1920 - its busiest year on record.
How Olan compares
2,732 Top 18% higher than 82% 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
Olan's all-time total is 7x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Olan | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 2,732 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 69 | 23 | 22,252 |
Olan's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Olan's full recorded timeline at 1959, 31% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 69% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1896, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1920 peak of 69 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Olan at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1920
Current rank
#4,585
Active since
1895
Olan popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1895–2025
- Peak year (1920)
- 69
- Annual births at peak, across 131 years of records
Olan by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Olan's strongest decade.
529 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 19% of all-time use.
Olan births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1890s 16
1890s
16 births
- 1900s 69
1900s
69 births
- 1910s
1910s
354 births
- 1920s
1920s
529 births
- 1930s
1930s
376 births
- 1940s
1940s
314 births
- 1950s
1950s
237 births
- 1960s 149
1960s
149 births
- 1970s 110
1970s
110 births
- 1980s 89
1980s
89 births
- 1990s 44
1990s
44 births
- 2000s 105
2000s
105 births
- 2010s 204
2010s
204 births
- 2020s 136
2020s
136 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 529 births (19% of all-time use).
How Olan 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 Olan's total volume
Olan vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Olan by state
Where Olan concentrates geographically, total births since 1895
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 468 | 17.1% |
| #2 | Oklahoma | | 91 | 3.3% |
| #3 | Alabama | | 60 | 2.2% |
| #4 | Georgia | | 45 | 1.6% |
| #5 | Louisiana | | 40 | 1.5% |
| #6 | Arkansas | | 15 | 0.5% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 11 | 0.4% |
| #8 | Florida | | 5 | 0.2% |
Texas share of Olan's total US births 17.1%
Even split
468 of 2,732 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 9 reporting states.
Olan appears in 9 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Olan? ▼
Olan has been given to 2,732 babies in the U.S. since 1895, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #4585 as of the latest data. 69 babies were born in 1920, its single highest year.
When was Olan most popular? ▼
Olan was most popular in the 1920s decade with 529 total births. The single peak year was 1920.
Where is Olan most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Olan are Texas (468 births), Oklahoma (91 births), Alabama (60 births).
How long has the name Olan been used? ▼
Records for Olan go back to 1895, giving 131 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Olan? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Olaf, Olajuwon, Ola, Olando, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Olan's data
- Olan's decade-level peak was the 1920s (529 total births); usage has since declined to 136 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Olans (468 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas 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 Olan
Nearby Names Like Olan
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Olan
Olaf Boy
#12357 2,531 births
Olajuwon Boy
#9256 641 births
Ola Boy
624 births
Olando Boy
621 births
Olamide Boy
#7990 298 births
Compare Olan side by side: Olan vs Olaf Olan vs Olajuwon Olan vs Ola
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Olan
Harlin #4584
1,879 births · Peak 1924
Macon #4586
2,105 births · Peak 2015
Lovell #4583
3,412 births · Peak 1916
Gennaro #4587
2,542 births · Peak 1926
Rosendo #4582
5,422 births · Peak 1993
Chapman #4588
1,007 births · Peak 2014
Odell #4581
14,883 births · Peak 1922
Donnell #4589
14,279 births · Peak 1982
Data Sources
Data as of July 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, 1895–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Olan: #4585 Boys' Name - 2,732 Births, Peak 1920." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/olan. 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 Olan 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 July 2026.