Nolen

Meaning: Champion
Origin: Variant of Nolan (from Irish)

Boy's name · #2381 in the US (2025) · Vintage

Popularity over time

Nolen is an heirloom: its strongest era came around 1892, when it ranked #925. It has thinned since but never left the records — about 3,400 boys since 1892, ranked #2381 today.

Across the states

See where Nolen is more common.

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 5 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Around the world

See how Nolen ranks in other countries and regions.

#16 in Hungary (2025) · #434 in Austria (2025) · #2,766 in Canada (2024).

Famous Nolens

Nolen Richardson — American baseball player (1903–1951)
Nolen Niu — American industrial designer
Nolen Ellison — Basketball player (1941–2025)

As a surname

It is also an American family name — about 11,000 people carried it as a surname in the 2010 census.

John Nolen — American landscape architect (1869–1937)
Paul Nolen — American basketball player (1929–2009)
Walter Nolen — American football player (born 2003)

Similar names: Price · Noble · Conley · Sloan · Orin · Ellison

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

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