Faolan: Meaning, Pronunciation and Origin
Faolan is an Irish boy's name meaning “wolf.” Here’s how to say it, where it comes from, and names that go well with it.
Updated September 2026
- Irish spelling
- Faolán
- Meaning
- Wolf
- Gender
- Boy
- English forms
- Phelan
- Popularity in Ireland
- No. 170 for boys (2025)
How do you pronounce Faolan?
Faolan is pronounced FWAIL-awn. It has two syllables, with the stress on the first.
What does Faolan mean?
Comes from the word faol “wolf”. The earliest record of the name seems to be for a follower of the warrior Fionn Mac Cool (read the legend) who was so loyal that he would have rescued Fionn from captivity, even from God himself.
How popular is Faolan in Ireland?
In 2025, 29 baby boys in Ireland were named Faolán, which made it No. 170 that year. That's up from No. 397 ten years earlier. The most babies got the name in 2023: 30. It first appears in the records in 1993, with 3 baby boys.
See the numbers by year
| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 29 | No. 170 (Faolán) |
| 2024 | 29 | No. 174 (Faolán) |
| 2023 | 30 | No. 172 (Faolán) |
| 2022 | 11 | No. 367 (Faolán) |
| 2021 | 14 | No. 312 (Faolán) |
| 2020 | 10 | No. 381 (Faolán) |
| 2019 | 16 | No. 285 (Faolán) |
| 2018 | 7 | No. 471 (Faolán) |
| 2017 | 12 | No. 336 (Faolan) |
| 2016 | 16 | No. 283 (Faolan) |
| 2015 | 9 | No. 397 (Faolan) |
| 2014 | 7 | No. 468 (Faolan) |
| 2013 | 6 | No. 479 (Faolan) |
| 2012 | 7 | No. 457 (Faolan) |
| 2011 | 10 | No. 387 (Faolan) |
| 2010 | 11 | No. 354 (Faolan) |
| 2009 | 4 | No. 604 (Faolan) |
| 2008 | 8 | No. 412 (Faolan) |
| 2006 | 3 | No. 596 (Faolan) |
| 2005 | 6 | No. 370 (Faolan) |
| 2004 | 3 | No. 506 (Faolan) |
| 2002 | 3 | No. 451 (Faolan) |
| 1997 | 4 | No. 337 (Faolan) |
| 1996 | 4 | No. 336 (Faolan) |
| 1995 | 3 | No. 334 (Faolan) |
| 1993 | 3 | No. 339 (Faolan) |
Faolan in Ogham
Ogham is the oldest way of writing Irish. It was carved along the edges of standing stones, mostly between the 4th and 6th centuries, and read from the bottom up. In later tradition each letter was named after a tree or plant. Here’s Faolan, letter by letter.
- FFearn, alder
- AAilm, pine
- OOnn, gorse
- LLuis, rowan
- AAilm, pine
- NNion, ash
Write any name in Ogham with our Ogham translator
Names that go with Faolan
Questions about Faolan
- How do you pronounce Faolan?
- Faolan is pronounced FWAIL-awn. Two syllables, stress on the first. There's a short video above where you can hear it said.
- What does Faolan mean?
- Faolan means “wolf.”
- Is Faolan a girl's name or a boy's name?
- Faolan is a boy's name.
- How do you spell Faolan in Irish?
- In Irish it's spelled Faolán. That's the spelling most parents in Ireland now register, according to the Central Statistics Office.
- What is Faolan in English?
- The English form of Faolan is Phelan.
- How popular is Faolan in Ireland?
- In 2025, Faolán was No. 170 for boys in Ireland, with 29 babies, according to the Central Statistics Office. That's the highest it has ever ranked.