Alan
Alan was the 191st most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 1,915 babies. Its best year was 1951, when it ranked 40th; the most babies were born in 1955 (9,037). Over the last ten years it has moved down 24 places. More babies were named Alan in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Meaning Origin uncertain · Breton, Celtic
Say it AL-uhn /ˈælən/
- Rank in 2025
- #191 boys, up 3 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 1,915boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19559,037 babies
- Total since 1880
- 364,389babies recorded
What does the name Alan mean?
Alan is a Breton name brought to England by Normans after 1066. Its origin is uncertain. DMNES thinks the most likely source is an Old Breton or Old Welsh word meaning 'deer'; Wiktionary adds proposals such as a Celtic deity name and an early Irish word for 'noble', and Wikipedia says there is no clear consensus. DMNES notes it reached Scotland from England, and medieval English forms like Alayn survive in surnames. Allan and Allen are common variants.
alan (Old Breton, “deer (DMNES's most likely view)”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. Sources disagree; 'deer' (DMNES) is one proposal among several.
Other explanations you may read: Means 'handsome' or 'harmony'.
Related names: Allan, Allen, Alain, Alun, Alanna.
See also: Celtic names.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Alan', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
- Wiktionary, entry 'Alan', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Alan (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Nicknames for Alan
The usual nicknames for Alan are Al. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Alan in the last five years, fewer than 1 were named Al, against 1 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Al · also for Alistair, Alexander, Albert | Traditional | #6,822 | 59 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Alans go by each one.
Alan popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 1,076 since 1921.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #191 | 1,915 |
| 2020 | #194 | 1,966 |
| 2010 | #156 | 2,513 |
| 2000 | #161 | 2,415 |
| 1990 | #126 | 2,640 |
| 1980 | #112 | 2,671 |
| 1970 | #91 | 3,553 |
| 1960 | #50 | 8,356 |
| 1950 | #41 | 7,737 |
| 1940 | #88 | 2,377 |
| 1930 | #136 | 1,301 |
| 1920 | #263 | 433 |
| 1910 | #321 | 59 |
| 1900 | #431 | 27 |
| 1890 | #566 | 12 |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Alan, counting every spelling?
Alan is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #142 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #191 for Alan on its own. Together these spellings went to 2,688 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alan | 1,915 | #191 | 10,204 |
| Allen | 507 | #578 | 2,670 |
| Allan | 223 | #1,013 | 1,392 |
| Alen | 36 | #3,244 | 216 |
| Alann | 7 | #9,760 | 26 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Alan?
1,915 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Alan (0.53 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Alan born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 4 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Alan.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Alan?
About 265,700 people born in the US named Alan are alive today, with a median age of 56; half are between 27 and 69. That makes Alan a name most people associate with older generations. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Alan by state
How common Alan was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Texas (1.7×), California (1.6×), Nevada (1.6×), Arizona (1.5×), Illinois (1.5×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in South Dakota, Michigan, Missouri.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Alan: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Alan, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Alan
What does Alan mean?
The origin of Alan is uncertain: sources disagree; 'deer' (DMNES) is one proposal among several.
How popular is the name Alan?
Alan was the 191st most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 1,915 babies. Its best year was 1951, when it ranked 40th; the most babies were born in 1955 (9,037). Over the last ten years it has moved down 24 places. More babies were named Alan in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Is Alan a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Alan in the US.
Where is Alan most popular?
In 2021–2025, Alan was most common in Texas (2.03 per 1,000 boys), followed by California and Nevada.