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