Alan
Boy nameAlan has been given to 364,389 babies in the U.S. since 1882. It peaked in 1955 and currently ranks #191 for boys (2025).
Meaning & origin /ˈæl.ən/
From Old Breton Alan, name of early Breton saints, of disputed origin and meaning; brought to England by Normans. It may have been the name of a Celtic deity, the brother of Bran, Welsh Alawn, Alun. As an early Irish name, perhaps connected with ail (“noble”). Compare French Alain.
Origin: Celtic languages
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Popularity over time births per year, 1880–2025
Total babies
364,389
Peak year
1955 (9,052 babies)
Rank in 2025
#191 for boys
First recorded
1882
10-year trend
▼ -23%
Gender split
0% girls / 100% boys
Famous people named Alan
Alan Turing
English computer scientist (1912–1954)
Alan Rickman
British actor and director (1946–2016)
A. A. Milne
British author known for creating Winnie-the-Pooh (1882–1956)
Alan Shearer
English footballer
Notability data from Wikidata (CC0).
Names with a similar vibe
Same primary gender, peaked around the same years, and roughly as common as Alan.
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