| Nolan | Rory | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Champion | red king |
| Origin | Irish | irish |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | NOH-lun | ROR-ee |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1881 | 1933 |
| Peak year | 2015 (5,739) | 2025 (1,768) |
| In 2025 | 4,846 | 1,768 |
| Trend | Rising | Near its peak |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Nolan | Rory |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 30,357 | 8,172 |
| 2010s | 50,045 | 6,990 |
| 2000s | 26,374 | 2,737 |
| 1990s | 11,791 | 2,706 |
| 1980s | 4,678 | 4,738 |
| 1970s | 2,006 | 2,668 |
| 1960s | 1,494 | 3,737 |
| 1950s | 1,960 | 3,621 |
| 1940s | 2,003 | 462 |
| 1930s | 1,822 | 10 |
| 1920s | 1,674 | 0 |
| 1910s | 1,021 | 0 |
| 1900s | 174 | 0 |
| 1890s | 75 | 0 |
| 1880s | 31 | 0 |
Nolan comes from the Irish Ó Nualláin, linked to “champion” or “noble.”
Anglicized form of Irish 'Ruaidhri', from 'ruadh' ('red') + 'ri' ('king') — 'red king'. Borne by Ruaidhri Ua Conchobair, the last High King of Ireland. Now also used for girls.
Nolan is more popular than Rory today: about 4,846 US babies were given the name Nolan in 2025, compared with 1,768 named Rory.
Nolan means Champion (Irish origin), while Rory means red king (irish origin).
In US records, Nolan first appears in 1881 and Rory in 1933, so Nolan has the longer recorded history.