Callan
Say it: KAL-an
BoyIrish6 letters2 syllables
#262
in Ireland (2025)
#255 with spellings combined
17
babies in 2025
#234
best rank (1996)
238
babies since 1996
Up 100
10-year rank change
Callan through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (boys) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 17 | #255 |
| 2024 | 11 | #339 |
| 2023 | 13 | #308 |
| 2022 | 16 | #277 |
| 2021 | 10 | #353 |
| 2020 | 11 | #350 |
| 2019 | 5 | #537 |
| 2018 | 9 | #384 |
| 2017 | 3 | #710 |
| 2016 | 8 | #412 |
| 2015 | 11 | #355 |
| 2014 | 14 | #314 |
| 2013 | 13 | #317 |
| 2012 | 18 | #267 |
| 2011 | 14 | #308 |
| 2010 | 5 | #542 |
| 2009 | 4 | #604 |
| 2008 | 5 | #529 |
| 2007 | 4 | #527 |
| 2006 | 5 | #423 |
| 2005 | 5 | #403 |
| 2004 | 6 | #352 |
| 2003 | 5 | #375 |
| 2002 | 4 | #393 |
| 2001 | 3 | #409 |
| 2000 | 3 | #390 |
| 1999 | 4 | #330 |
| 1998 | 3 | #369 |
| 1996 | 9 | #234 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0.
★ What does Callan mean?
Uncertain
Irish, from the surname Ó Cathaláin (descendant of Cathalán).
Say it right
KALan
Not:ka-LAN
The story of Callan
Callan came to be used as a first name from the surname. In Ireland the surname is usually traced to Ó Cathaláin, meaning a descendant of Cathalán, a small form of Cathal. In Scotland it can also come from Gaelic surnames such as Mac Allin. With so many possible roots, there is no single agreed meaning.
It is also the name of a market town in County Kilkenny, called Callainn in Irish. It is not clear whether the town name and the surname share a root.
Callan first appears in the CSO records in 1996, when it reached number 234. It had the most babies in 2012, with 18, and 17 boys were named Callan in 2025. It is also used in Northern Ireland, where its best rank was number 187 in 2024. The CSO counts Callan and Callum as separate names.
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Sources
- Wiktionary: Callan (English proper noun)
- Wikipedia: Callan
- Logainm: Callainn/Callan, County Kilkenny
- CSO VSA50, Boys Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
- NISRA, First Forenames Given to Babies Registered in Northern Ireland
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Callan | 17 | 238 |
In Northern Ireland
#212 in 2025 with 9 babies. Best rank #187 (2024); 97 babies since 1997.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.