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