Faelan
A masculine name of Irish origin meaning "little wolf" or "puppy".
Name Census estimates that about 78 living Americans carry the first name Faelan. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 87.3% of registrations being male. The average person named Faelan today is around 8 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Faelan births was 2015 (15 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Faelan. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Faelan with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Faelan. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
78
~ 1 in 4,394,286 Americans
Peak year
2015
15 babies that year
Average age
8
years old
2024 SSA rank
#9,236
Tracked since 2012
Gender
Gender distribution for Faelan
Faelan leans heavily male at 87.3% of total registrations, but 10 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Faelan as a male name
- Ranked #9,236 in 2024
- 8 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2015 (10 births)
Faelan as a female name
- Ranked #16,007 in 2024
- 5 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2015 (5 births)
Popularity
Faelan: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Faelan from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 42 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Faelan by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Faelan during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Faelan
The name Faelan is derived from the Old Irish word "fáelán," which means "little wolf" or "wolf cub." This name has its origins in ancient Celtic culture, specifically the Irish and Scottish Gaelic traditions. It is a diminutive form of the name Fáel or Fáelan, which itself is derived from the Old Irish word "fáel," meaning "wolf."
The name Faelan gained popularity during the Middle Ages in Ireland and Scotland. It was particularly common among the Gaelic clans and families of these regions. One of the earliest recorded instances of this name dates back to the 7th century, when a Scottish monk named Faelan of Strathfillan lived in the Perthshire region of Scotland.
In the 8th century, an Irish abbot named Faelan founded the monastery of Reileag, located in County Sligo, Ireland. This monastery became an important center of learning and spirituality in medieval Ireland.
During the 12th century, a renowned Irish poet and historian named Faelan mac Gorman lived and worked in the province of Meath. His writings provide valuable insights into the history and culture of Ireland during that time period.
In the 14th century, a Scottish nobleman named Faelan Mackinnon was a prominent figure in the Clan Mackinnon, which hailed from the Hebrides islands off the west coast of Scotland.
Another notable individual with this name was Faelan O'Reilly, an Irish chieftain who lived in the 16th century. He was a member of the powerful O'Reilly dynasty, which ruled over parts of County Cavan in Ireland.
Throughout its history, the name Faelan has maintained a strong connection to its Celtic roots and has been associated with traits such as strength, courage, and a connection to nature. While it has remained relatively uncommon in modern times, the name continues to hold cultural significance, particularly within Irish and Scottish communities.
People
Faelan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Faelan as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with F
Other first names starting with F with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Faelan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Faelan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 78 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Faelan going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 4,394,286 US residents.
Is Faelan a common name?
We classify Faelan as "Very Rare". It ranks above 60.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 79 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Faelan most popular?
The single biggest year for Faelan was 2015, when 15 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Faelan is about 8 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Faelan in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Faelan a male name?
Yes, 87.3% of people registered as Faelan in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Faelan still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Faelan in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Faelan can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Faelan?
Want to know how many Americans are named Faelan? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.