| Phelan | Eoghan | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | little wolf | Born of the yew |
| Origin | irish | Irish |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | FEE-lan | OH-un |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 0 | 1989 |
| Peak year | 1996 (26) | 2015 (29) |
| In 2025 | 0 | 19 |
| Trend | Steady | Steady |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Phelan | Eoghan |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 52 | 128 |
| 2010s | 95 | 199 |
| 2000s | 115 | 133 |
| 1990s | 163 | 41 |
| 1980s | 80 | 6 |
| 1970s | 60 | 0 |
| 1960s | 5 | 0 |
| 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'.
Eoghan is linked to “born of the yew tree” and to “well-born.”
Eoghan is more popular than Phelan today: about 19 US babies were given the name Eoghan in 2025, compared with 0 named Phelan.
Phelan means little wolf (irish origin), while Eoghan means Born of the yew (Irish origin).
In US records, Phelan first appears in 0 and Eoghan in 1989, so Phelan has the longer recorded history.