Phelan
The Story of Phelan
As a girl name
Phelan first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1982, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1999, when 9 Phelans were born — ranking #9,479 that year. As of 2026, Phelan ranks #15,899 for girls with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 68 Phelans have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1980s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Phelan first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1949, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1996, when 26 Phelans were born — ranking #2,838 that year. As of 2026, Phelan ranks #8,947 for boys with 8 births, falling sharply (-22%). In total, more than 576 Phelans have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1940s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Phelan
Phonetically similar names — useful when Phelan 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 Phelan
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About the name Phelan
Phelan is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1949 and has accumulated 576 births in the dataset. Phelan's peak popularity came in 1996 when it ranked #2,838. Use the chart and map above to compare Phelan's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
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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.