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.
- English
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 →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Callan
As a girl name
The earliest SSA record of Callan as a girl name dates back to 1982, when 6 babies received it. 2026 was its biggest year on record, with 62 newborns named Callan — #2,743 in the national rankings. About 24% of every Callan on record arrived during the 1990s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Callan ranks #2,743 for girls with 62 births, rising sharply (+53% over the past five years). All told, over 2K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1980s to the 2020s.
As a boy name
The earliest SSA record of Callan as a boy name dates back to 1957, when 5 babies received it. 2026 was its biggest year on record, with 1,481 newborns named Callan — #238 in the national rankings. About 64% of every Callan on record arrived during the 2020s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Callan ranks #238 for boys with 1,481 births, rising sharply (+114% over the past five years). All told, over 12K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1950s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Callan
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Callan. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
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?
What is the origin of the name Callan?
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?
What names go well with Callan?
What are nicknames or variants of Callan?
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.