Phelan
About Phelan
Phelan, pronounced FAY-lan or FEE-lan, is an appealing Irish surname name, with a rich history in Irish myth and religious and secular life. One bearer was a fiercely loyal follower of the legendary warrior Finn MacCool, another was a missionary saint.
The first name Phelan figures in an O'Henry story, "Between Rounds"; and in The Help, Skeeter's surname is Phelan. In Irish, the name is spelled Faolan.
Pronounced FAY-lan.
As of October 2026, Phelan ranked #13402 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #2891 in 1996.
Editor: Pamela Redmond
Sources: US popularity data is from the Social Security Administration. Meanings and origins are from Nameberry's name references.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank | Births | Per million |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | — | 0 | 0 |
Similar names
These 20 names were selected by our users looking for other names like Phelan.
- Quillan
- Malo
- Omri
- Lior
- Kester
- Faris
- Dacre
- Maxence
- Fintan
- Callister
- Elden
- Arvid
- Aubin
- Mirren
- Artem
- Riordan
- Jesper
- Orry
- Beren
- Theoden
Phelan on lists
Famous Phelans
- Phelan Beale
American attorney; husband of to Edith Ewing Bouvier; uncle of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, portrayed in film "Grey Gardens"
- Phelan Beale
Jr., American journalist; son of Phelan and Edith Bouvier Beale
- Phelan Simpson
Canadian pair skater
- Phelan Kane
American pair skater
- Phelan "Phelous" Porteous
Internet movie reviewer
Phelan in pop culture
- Phelan Rapp
dog turned Rat in "Provost's Dog" series by Tamora Pierce
- Phelan
minor character on TV's Battlestar Galactica
- Pat Phelan
murderer and villain on English Soap 'Coronation Street'