Given name & surname
Carlan
“a free man”
Carlan is a variant of Carl. In German use, Carl carries the interpretation “a free man.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Carlan is a variant of Carl. In German use, Carl carries the interpretation “a free man.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Carlan is a form of Carolan. Carolan comes from Irish.
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1945. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Carlan through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 65
- 40 boys · 25 girls
- Most popular year
- 1946
- 7 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- —
- Too few births to compare
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for boys is 5 in 2000. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for boys was 7 in 1946. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 291 as a first name in 2020; 490 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Carlan’s family of names
Carlan has a related form in Carl. In English usage, Carlan as a surname has a related form in Carolan.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 3
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Similar names
If you love Carlan, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Carroll
“a joyous song; a small, strong woman” · “a free man”
82% boys · 18% girls
Carrol
“a free man”
59% boys · 41% girls
Arlen
“a solemn, binding promise”
80% boys · 20% girls
Gale
“a foreigner” · “one who is cheerful”
85% boys · 15% girls
Calnan
Calnan is a surname from Irish.
—
Cahalan
“son of Cathalán”
—
Carnahan
“descendant of Cearnachán”
—
Mel
“a dark-skinned beauty” · “from the mill town”
42% boys · 58% girls