Callan
Callan is a masculine given name and surname of Irish and Scottish origin. It can derive from Ó Cathaláin or be an Anglicized form of the Gaelic Mac Allin or Mac Callin.
Meaning & Origin of Callan
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Callan is a masculine given name and surname of Irish and Scottish origin. It can derive from Ó Cathaláin or be an Anglicized form of the Gaelic Mac Allin or Mac Callin.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Callan
As a girl name
Callan first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1982, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2026, when 62 Callans were born — ranking #2,743 that year. As of 2026, Callan ranks #2,743 for girls with 62 births, rising sharply (+53% over the past five years). In total, more than 2K Callans have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1980s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Callan first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1957, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2026, when 1,481 Callans were born — ranking #238 that year. As of 2026, Callan ranks #238 for boys with 1,481 births, rising sharply (+114% over the past five years). In total, more than 12K Callans have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1950s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Callan
Phonetically similar names — useful when Callan is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Callan
What does the name Callan mean?
How popular is Callan in 2026?
When was Callan most popular?
In which U.S. states is Callan most popular?
Is Callan a unisex name?
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About the name Callan
Callan is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1957 and has accumulated 12K births in the dataset. Callan's peak popularity came in 2026 when it ranked #238. Use the chart and map above to compare Callan's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2026 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "C" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.