| Colm | Phelan | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Dove | little wolf |
| Origin | Irish | irish |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | KUL-um | FEE-lan |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1962 | 0 |
| Peak year | 2007 (28) | 1996 (26) |
| In 2025 | 12 | 0 |
| Trend | Steady | Steady |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Colm | Phelan |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 84 | 52 |
| 2010s | 145 | 95 |
| 2000s | 189 | 115 |
| 1990s | 119 | 163 |
| 1980s | 44 | 80 |
| 1970s | 49 | 60 |
| 1960s | 32 | 5 |
| 1950s | 0 | 5 |
| 1940s | 0 | 6 |
Colm means “dove,” from the Latin columba; Saint Colm Cille (Columba) bore it.
Anglicised form of the Irish Faolan (via the surname O Faolain), from 'faol' ('wolf') plus the diminutive suffix '-an', meaning 'little wolf' or 'wolf cub'.
Colm is more popular than Phelan today: about 12 US babies were given the name Colm in 2025, compared with 0 named Phelan.
Colm means Dove (Irish origin), while Phelan means little wolf (irish origin).
In US records, Colm first appears in 1962 and Phelan in 0, so Phelan has the longer recorded history.