Keelan
Say it: KEE-lan
BoyIrish6 letters2 syllables
#211
in Ireland (2025)
#210 with spellings combined
22
babies in 2025
#115
best rank (1999)
1,049
babies since 1980
Down 43
10-year rank change
Keelan through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (boys) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 22 | #210 |
| 2024 | 17 | #251 |
| 2023 | 22 | #210 |
| 2022 | 21 | #227 |
| 2021 | 27 | #193 |
| 2020 | 17 | #262 |
| 2019 | 35 | #166 |
| 2018 | 25 | #215 |
| 2017 | 31 | #188 |
| 2016 | 29 | #196 |
| 2015 | 37 | #167 |
| 2014 | 35 | #175 |
| 2013 | 39 | #167 |
| 2012 | 52 | #135 |
| 2011 | 36 | #183 |
| 2010 | 43 | #160 |
| 2009 | 34 | #170 |
| 2008 | 43 | #155 |
| 2007 | 45 | #141 |
| 2006 | 45 | #126 |
| 2005 | 37 | #138 |
| 2004 | 40 | #126 |
| 2003 | 29 | #145 |
| 2002 | 28 | #142 |
| 2001 | 31 | #135 |
| 2000 | 34 | #126 |
| 1999 | 38 | #115 |
| 1998 | 23 | #139 |
| 1997 | 30 | #138 |
| 1996 | 15 | #185 |
| 1995 | 17 | #164 |
| 1994 | 9 | #208 |
| 1993 | 8 | #223 |
| 1992 | 11 | #198 |
| 1991 | 6 | #242 |
| 1990 | 4 | #286 |
| 1989 | 4 | #278 |
| 1988 | 5 | #254 |
| 1986 | 6 | #247 |
| 1985 | 3 | #304 |
| 1984 | 6 | #234 |
| 1983 | 3 | #330 |
| 1981 | 4 | #292 |
| 1980 | 3 | #321 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0.
★ What does Keelan mean?
Uncertain, often linked with caol (slender)
Irish, an English spelling of Caolán, and also a surname from Ó Céileacháin.
Say it right
KEElan
The story of Keelan
Keelan is one of the English spellings of Caolán, an Irish name linked with caol, meaning slender or fine. Kealan and Kelan are other spellings of the same name. Keelan is also an Irish surname, a shortened form of Ó Céileacháin, which comes from céile, a companion. Because two different sources meet in one spelling, the meaning of any one Keelan is hard to pin down.
Keelan first appears in the CSO records in 1980, with 3 boys. It grew through the 1990s and reached number 115 in 1999, its best rank. It peaked in 2012 with 52 babies, and in 2025 it was number 211, with 22 boys.
The CSO counts Keelan, Kealan, Caolán and other spellings separately, so the name as a whole is more common than any one of these figures suggests. In Northern Ireland its best year was 2001, at number 111.
Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Sources
- Wiktionary: Keelan (English proper noun)
- Wikipedia: Caolán
- CSO VSA50, Boys Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
- NISRA, First Forenames Given to Babies Registered in Northern Ireland
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Keelan | 22 | 1,049 |
In Northern Ireland
Not in the 2025 list. Best rank #111 (2001); 247 babies since 1997.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.
Keelan is also given to girls: 22 since 2005.