Total births
581
Unisex name · since 1949
Phelan
Phelan has 581 recorded births since 1949 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1996 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #9124
- among boys today
- 581
- born since 1949
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 36%
- more common than other boys
581 babies have been named Phelan since 1949, making it today's #9124 unisex name.
Phelan has 581 recorded births among boys since 1949, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #9124 as of the latest data, more common than 36% of boys, busiest in the 1990s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1949 to 2025.
- #9124 among boys today
- 581 born since 1949
- 1990s peak decade
- 36% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Phelan is currently the #9124 unisex name in America, more common than 36% of boys - 581 born since 1949, peaking in the 1990s.
- #9124
- among boys today
- 581
- born since 1949
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 36%
- more common than other boys
Phelan vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#9124
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 36% of names given to boys today.
1990s
Peak decade
28% of everyone ever named Phelan was born in this single decade.
1996
Single peak year
26 babies were named Phelan in 1996 - its busiest year on record.
How Phelan compares
581 Top 40% higher than 60% 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
Phelan's all-time total is 58% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Phelan | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 581 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 26 | 23 | 22,252 |
Phelan's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Phelan's full recorded timeline at 1998, 50% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 50% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1956, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1996 peak of 26 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Phelan at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1996
Current rank
#9,124
Active since
1949
Phelan popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1949–2025
- Peak year (1996)
- 26
- Annual births at peak, across 77 years of records
Phelan popularity over time - girls
68 total births recorded since 1982 (Phelan as girls' name)
Phelan by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Phelan's strongest decade.
163 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 28% of all-time use.
Phelan births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1940s 6
1940s
6 births
- 1950s 5
1950s
5 births
- 1960s 5
1960s
5 births
- 1970s 60
1970s
60 births
- 1980s
1980s
80 births
- 1990s
1990s
163 births
- 2000s
2000s
115 births
- 2010s
2010s
95 births
- 2020s 52
2020s
52 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 163 births (28% of all-time use).
How Phelan 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 Phelan's total volume
Phelan vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Phelan? ▼
581 babies have been named Phelan since 1949. It currently ranks #9124 among boys. The peak year was 1996 with 26 births.
When was Phelan most popular? ▼
Phelan was most popular in the 1990s decade with 163 total births. The single peak year was 1996.
Is Phelan a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Phelan is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 581 births, and as a girl's name it has 68 births.
How long has the name Phelan been used? ▼
Records for Phelan go back to 1949, giving 77 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Phelan? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Pheonix, Phenix, Pheng, Phelix, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Phelan's data
- Phelan's decade-level peak was the 1990s (163 total births); usage has since declined to 52 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- 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 Phelan
Nearby Names Like Phelan
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Phelan
Pheonix Boy
#5555 573 births
Phenix Boy
#4391 510 births
Pheng Boy
436 births
Phelix Boy
#7845 221 births
Phelps Boy
59 births
Compare Phelan side by side: Phelan vs Pheonix Phelan vs Phenix Phelan vs Pheng
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Phelan
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, 1949–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Phelan: #9124 Unisex Name - 581 Births, Peak 1996." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/phelan. 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 Phelan 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.