Given name & surname
Olan
“the last of the ancestors”
Olan is a variant of Olaf. One interpretation is “the last of the ancestors.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Olan is a variant of Olaf. One interpretation is “the last of the ancestors.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Olan is a variant of Olaf. An origin associated with Olaf is Old Norse.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1895. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Olan through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 2,732
- 2,732 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1920
- 69 babies
- 2025
- 14
- #6,345 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −1%
- Steady
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 14 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 6,345 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 0.9% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 69 in 1920. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,182 as a first name in 2020; 1,058 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.
Inner ring: spellings · outer: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 1
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Olan, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Oran
“surrounded by light” · “a pale-skinned man”
>99% boys
Olen
“filled with happiness”
>99% boys
Olin
“filled with happiness”
>99% boys
Urban
“city-dweller” · “from the city”
>99% boys
Orin
“a dark-haired beauty”
99% boys · 1% girls
Albin
“from the white hill white-” · “from the white hill; whiteskinned”
>99% boys
Ozell
“having great strength”
>99% boys
Orie
“surrounded by the light of truth”
>99% boys