| Oisin | Phelan | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Little deer | little wolf |
| Origin | Irish | irish |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | uh-SHEEN | FEE-lan |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1991 | 0 |
| Peak year | 2020 (31) | 1996 (26) |
| In 2025 | 22 | 0 |
| Trend | Rising | Steady |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Oisin | Phelan |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 157 | 52 |
| 2010s | 181 | 95 |
| 2000s | 132 | 115 |
| 1990s | 43 | 163 |
| 1980s | 0 | 80 |
| 1970s | 0 | 60 |
| 1960s | 0 | 5 |
| 1950s | 0 | 5 |
| 1940s | 0 | 6 |
Oisín means “little deer” or “fawn.” He is the poet-warrior of Irish legend.
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'.
Oisin is more popular than Phelan today: about 22 US babies were given the name Oisin in 2025, compared with 0 named Phelan.
Oisin means Little deer (Irish origin), while Phelan means little wolf (irish origin).
In US records, Oisin first appears in 1991 and Phelan in 0, so Phelan has the longer recorded history.