Faolán
Say it: FAY-lawn
BoyIrishMeans little wolf6 letters2 syllables
#170
in Ireland (2025)
#168 with spellings combined
29
babies in 2025
#168
best rank (2025)
265
babies since 1993
Up 229
10-year rank change
Faolán through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (boys) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 29 | #168 |
| 2024 | 29 | #171 |
| 2023 | 30 | #170 |
| 2022 | 11 | #357 |
| 2021 | 14 | #300 |
| 2020 | 10 | #369 |
| 2019 | 16 | #278 |
| 2018 | 7 | #446 |
| 2017 | 12 | #336 |
| 2016 | 16 | #283 |
| 2015 | 9 | #397 |
| 2014 | 7 | #468 |
| 2013 | 6 | #479 |
| 2012 | 7 | #457 |
| 2011 | 10 | #387 |
| 2010 | 11 | #354 |
| 2009 | 4 | #604 |
| 2008 | 8 | #412 |
| 2006 | 3 | #595 |
| 2005 | 6 | #370 |
| 2004 | 3 | #506 |
| 2002 | 3 | #451 |
| 1997 | 4 | #337 |
| 1996 | 4 | #336 |
| 1995 | 3 | #334 |
| 1993 | 3 | #339 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0. Spellings with and without fadas are combined; the CSO only recorded fadas from 2018.
★ What does Faolán mean?
Little wolf
Irish, from faol (wolf) with the small ending -án, from Old Irish Fáelán.
Say it right
FAYlawn
Irish speakers in the south and west often say FEE-lawn, as "ao" sounds like "ee" there. The fada on the "a" gives a long "aw" sound.
Not:FOH-lanFAW-oh-lan
The story of Faolán
Faolán comes from the Old Irish name Fáelán. It is built on faol, an old word for a wolf, with the small ending -án, so it is usually explained as “little wolf”. The same name sits inside the surnames Ó Faoláin and Mac Giolla Fhaoláin.
Several early saints bore the name. The best known is an eighth-century monk from Munster who studied at Taghmon and later settled in Scotland, where he is remembered as Saint Fillan and the valley of Strath Fillan carries his name.
Faolán first appears in the CSO records in 1993. It stayed rare for years, then rose quickly in the 2020s, with 30 babies in 2023. In 2025 it reached its best rank so far, number 168 once spellings are combined. The CSO lists Faolán and Faolan separately, and in 2025 every baby had the fada. It is catching on in Northern Ireland too, reaching number 116 there in 2024.
Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Sources
- Wiktionary: Faolán (Irish proper noun)
- Wikipedia: Fillan
- 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Faolán | 29 | 146 |
| Faolan | under 3 | 119 |
In Northern Ireland
#159 in 2025 with 14 babies. Best rank #116 (2024); 109 babies since 2006.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.