| Faolan | Colm | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | little wolf | Dove |
| Origin | irish | Irish |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | FWAY-lawn | KUL-um |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| First appeared | 0 | 1962 |
| Peak year | 2023 (23) | 2007 (28) |
| In 2025 | 0 | 12 |
| Trend | Rising | Steady |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Faolan | Colm |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 72 | 84 |
| 2010s | 100 | 145 |
| 2000s | 25 | 189 |
| 1990s | 0 | 119 |
| 1980s | 0 | 44 |
| 1970s | 0 | 49 |
| 1960s | 0 | 32 |
From the Irish 'faol' ('wolf') and the diminutive suffix '-an', meaning 'little wolf'. Borne by several early Irish saints; anglicised as Phelan or Whelan.
Colm means “dove,” from the Latin columba; Saint Colm Cille (Columba) bore it.
Colm is more popular than Faolan today: about 12 US babies were given the name Colm in 2025, compared with 0 named Faolan.
Faolan means little wolf (irish origin), while Colm means Dove (Irish origin).
In US records, Faolan first appears in 0 and Colm in 1962, so Faolan has the longer recorded history.