Caolan
Boy · KAY-lan · Irish
Big in ScotlandBig in Northern Ireland
Caolan is a boys' name of Irish origin, meaning “slender”. In 2025 it ranked 820th for boys in the UK (44 babies).
What does Caolan mean?
Irish: anglicised spelling of Caolán, from caol
“slender”
Caolán is an old Irish name formed from caol, slender, plus a diminutive ending, and was borne by several early saints.
- Say it
- KAY-lan
More on Wiktionary.
Is Caolan a girl's or a boy's name?
Caolan is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 44 boys in the UK. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Caolan in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #820among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 44about 1 in 6,800 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steadyup 1% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 44 boys in the UK were named Caolan, making it the 820th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 661st. Its busiest year was 1997, with 127 boys.
Half of all the boys named Caolan in the UK since 1996 were born between 2001 and 2015, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 302 boys in the UK were given Caolan or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #196, up from #820 for this spelling alone.
Among boys in 2025, it was 1,537th in England and Wales, 762nd in Scotland and 99th in Northern Ireland.
Caolan in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 44 | #820 |
| 2024 | 47 | #790 |
| 2023 | 55 | #710 |
| 2022 | 43 | #813 |
| 2021 | 56 | #707 |
| 2020 | 58 | #661 |
| 2019 | 44 | #788 |
| 2018 | 42 | #842 |
| 2017 | 60 | #657 |
| 2016 | 65 | #618 |
| 2015 | 65 | #615 |
| 2014 | 68 | #591 |
| 2013 | 59 | #640 |
| 2012 | 74 | #549 |
| 2011 | 85 | #483 |
| 2010 | 72 | #541 |
| 2009 | 53 | #664 |
| 2008 | 76 | #512 |
| 2007 | 74 | #505 |
| 2006 | 75 | #474 |
| 2005 | 69 | #463 |
| 2004 | 71 | #429 |
| 2003 | 79 | #374 |
| 2002 | 80 | #357 |
| 2001 | 87 | #345 |
| 2000 | 82 | #353 |
| 1999 | 114 | #282 |
| 1998 | 120 | #265 |
| 1997 | 127 | #260 |
| 1996 | 14 | #1,021 |
Names like Caolan
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Declan Conlan Regan Conan Keegan Brogan Keelan Ronan Keenan Conn Conall Caoimhin
Other spellings of Caolan
Caelan Kaylen Kaylan Kaelan Caelen Kaelen Kalen Calen Caylen Kailen
Names related to Caolan
More Irish names
Oscar Rowan Rory Maeve Finn Aiden Ryan Nolan Quinn Orla Cody Erin Connor Casey Kennedy Lennon