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Dolan as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Dolan

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The baby name Dolan is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈdoʊlən/ (DOH-lən).

Dolan is Irish in Origin.

Gender: Male
Syllables: 2.0
Origin: Irish
Pronunciation: /ˈdoʊlən/ (DOH-lən)

What is the meaning of the name Dolan ?

The baby name Dolan is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈdoʊlən/ (DOH-lən).

Dolan is Irish in Origin.

Dolan is an Irish surname-turned-given name from the Gaelic Ó Dobhailen (also recorded as Ó Dóláin), meaning "descendant of Dobhailen/Dólán." The exact etymology of the personal name is debated; scholars connect it either to dubh, "dark, black," yielding the sense "descendant of the dark-haired one," or to dobhail, "ill fortune/harm," in which case the name functions chiefly as a patronymic rather than carrying a fixed lexical meaning.

As a surname, Dolan appears in medieval Irish records and was prominent in Connacht, later spreading overseas with 19th-century emigration. Its use as a first name is recent, reflecting the Anglophone taste for brisk Irish surnames. Variants and Anglicizations include Doolan, Dolin, and Doland; Gaelic forms are Ó Dobhailen and Ó Dóláin. While sometimes unisex, Dolan is chiefly given to boys today and sits near Nolan, Ronan, and Rowan in style.

Dolan has the following similar or variant Names

Dolan – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
QA 0 #106 1 7,011
CY Girls 0 #125 1 3,755
ID Boys 0 #135 1 4,130
MT Boys 0 #179 1 4,064
LU Girls 0 #190 1 4,850
AO Girls 0 #217 1 4,575
BD 0 #238 4 5,992
HR Boys 0 #259 1 3,997
JM Boys 0 #293 1 6,876
Canada Boys 2008 #318 6 2,355
PL Boys 0 #339 2 6,459
MU Girls 0 #362 1 8,539
BD Girls 0 #377 10 8,413
France Boys 2021 #383 5 2,865
PH Boys 0 #404 5 11,440
OM Girls 0 #423 2 15,987
GT Boys 0 #496 4 7,625
PA Boys 0 #503 3 9,305
CO 0 #510 1 7,768
CR Boys 0 #510 1 10,188
BD Boys 0 #520 57 10,045
IQ Girls 0 #524 2 11,303
KW Girls 0 #560 2 19,177
IR Boys 0 #565 1 10,162
CM Boys 0 #575 1 12,054
BH 0 #585 3 17,937
AE Girls 0 #595 3 20,968
IN Girls 0 #608 24 13,121
IL Boys 0 #625 1 10,983
IL Girls 0 #644 2 11,648
IQ Boys 0 #696 2 13,071
QA Boys 0 #697 11 18,093
CL Boys 0 #698 3 13,390
SG Boys 0 #736 4 17,960
SY 0 #767 1 11,684
KW Boys 0 #805 2 18,755
OM Boys 0 #840 42 17,948
United States Boys 2023 #885 14 7,053
PE Boys 0 #923 4 14,506
EG Boys 0 #925 1 15,035
IN Boys 0 #968 34 16,750
CO Boys 0 #980 2 15,656
SA Girls 0 #1,007 8 25,931
MX Boys 0 #1,029 5 16,355
AE Boys 0 #1,061 32 22,615
MY Girls 0 #1,071 2 24,821
ZA Boys 0 #1,155 24 25,619
MY Boys 0 #1,174 9 25,439
MA 0 #1,198 2 20,986
DZ 0 #1,232 3 20,130
ZA Girls 0 #1,234 3 25,928
TR 0 #1,248 7 19,440
SA Boys 0 #1,584 31 28,008

Dolan is popular in 40 countries — most recent births per country:

United States
France
Canada
AE
AO

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People also ask about Dolan

Dolan is predominantly a boy's name.
Dolan is a 2 syllable name, pronounced /ˈdoʊlən/ (DOH-lən).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Doolan, Dulan, Dolán, O'Dolan, Ó Dubhláin and Ó Dúláin.
Across languages, Dolan has these equivalents: Ciarán (Irish, 'little dark one'), Blake (English, 'dark/black'), Donovan (Irish, 'dark-haired chieftain'), Duncan (Gaelic, 'dark warrior'), Bruno ('brown').
Yes — Dolan ranked #318 in Canada in 2008, and appears in official birth registries across 3 countries.
Dolan ranks highest in Canada (#318 in 2008).
Dolan's popularity is declining significantly. It moved from #853 in 2013 to #885 in 2023 in United States.