Phelan in Irish: Faolan

The Irish form of Phelan is Faolan, a boy's name meaning “little wolf.” Here’s how to say it, where it comes from, and names that go well with it.

Updated November 2026

How do you say Phelan in Irish?

Phelan in Irish is Faolan, pronounced FWAIL-awn. It has two syllables, with the stress on the first.

What does Faolan mean?

Faolan means “little wolf.” Phelan is one of the English forms of the name.

Read more about Faolan: its meaning, origin and stories

How popular is Phelan in Ireland?

Phelan is rare in Ireland. Since 1964, fewer than three baby boys a year have been registered with the name, so it doesn't appear in the Central Statistics Office's baby name tables.

Source: Central Statistics Office, Irish Babies’ Names 2025 and its boys' names table.

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.

Write any name in Ogham with our Ogham translator

Names that go with Phelan

Questions about Phelan

What is Phelan in Irish?

The Irish form of Phelan is Faolan, pronounced FWAIL-awn. Faolan means “little wolf.”

How do you pronounce Faolan?

Faolan is pronounced FWAIL-awn, with two syllables and the stress on the first.

Is Phelan a girl's name or a boy's name?

Phelan is a boy's name.

Is Phelan a rare name?

Yes. Fewer than three boys a year are registered as Phelan in Ireland, too few to appear in the Central Statistics Office's tables.

Sources: popularity from the Central Statistics Office, table VSA50 (CC BY 4.0). Meaning and origin from Woulfe, Irish Names and Surnames (1923), Ó Dónaill's Irish dictionary (teanglann.ie), Wikipedia and gutenberg.org. How we research names: our sources. Spotted a mistake? support@babynamesofireland.com