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At a Glance
- Meaning
- Battle-mighty (little Cathal)
- Origin
- Irish (surname)
- Gender
- Boy
- Pronunciation
- KAL-un
Callan is an Irish surname (from Ó Cathaláin) used as a boy's first name, pronounced KAL-un. Its documented meaning is 'battle-mighty' — it's essentially a form of 'little Cathal.' You might see some sites claim it means 'rock,' but that's not accurate; the surname record points to 'battle' instead.
Meaning & Origin of Callan
Meaning: Battle-mighty (little Cathal).
Origin: Irish (surname).
A common claim: Battle (or sometimes 'rock') Actually: Some sites gloss Callan as 'rock,' but the documented surname source (Ó Cathaláin, from Cathal) points to 'battle,' not 'rock.'
Source: Wiktionary.
How to Pronounce Callan
KAL-unIPA /ˈkælən/
Popularity of Callan
SSA has tracked Callan since 1957, and by 2024 it reached its highest point yet — #242, given to 1,452 boys, which is both its current and all-time peak rank.
Names Like Callan
These names share Callan’s style, era or origin.
FAQ
What does the name Callan mean?
Battle-mighty (little Cathal). (Source: Wiktionary)
How do you pronounce Callan?
Callan is pronounced KAL-un (IPA: /ˈkælən/).
Is Callan a popular name right now?
Callan is at its highest recorded popularity right now, ranked #242 in 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1957–2024.)
Make Callan Name Art
Free printable nursery art for Callan, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.
📊 How popular is Callan? See the full popularity history, trend data, and ranking since 1880 with our free Baby Name Popularity Checker.
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