Callahan

Meaning: Bright-headed; or strife
Origin: Variant of Ceallach · Irish, source of Kelly (from Irish Gaelic)

Boy's name · #227 in the US (2025) · Trending

91% boys · 9% girls — Callahan is also given to girls: 116 in 2025, about 1 in 11 in recent years. Callahan →

Popularity over time

Callahan is climbing: on the charts since 1983, it reached #227 in 2025 — its strongest showing yet, with about 1,600 boys given the name last year. Roughly 6,000 have carried it all-time.

Across the states

In recent years, Callahan ran about 3× its national rate in Montana and North Dakota—ranked #79 in Montana in 2025.

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 41 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Around the world

See how Callahan ranks in other countries and regions.

#2,296 in England & Wales (2025) · #560 in Canada (2024).

Famous Callahans

Callahan Burke — American ice hockey player
Callahan Bright — American football defensive lineman

As a surname

It is also an American family name — about 51,000 people carried it as a surname in the 2010 census.

Ryan Callahan — American ice hockey player
Bill Callahan — American singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1966)
Steven Callahan — American sailor and writer

In stories & tradition

Callahan — Mobile Suit Gundam (anime series)

Similar names: Callan · Knox · Callum · Ronan · Kayce · Lachlan

Browse more boy names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

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