Alana
Alana was the 140th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 2,085 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 62 places. More babies were named Alana in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Meaning Origin uncertain · Breton, Celtic
Say it uh-LAN-uh /əˈlænə/
- Rank in 2025
- #140 girls, up 66 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 2,085girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20072,461 babies
- Total since 1880
- 68,295babies recorded
What does the name Alana mean?
Alana is a feminine form of Alan, made by adding -a; Wiktionary says it has been in regular use since the 20th century, and Wikipedia calls it a Latinized feminine of Alan with relatively modern use. DMNES notes that in medieval England Latin Alana usually stood for the man's name Alan. Alan itself is Breton and of uncertain origin; DMNES thinks 'deer' most likely. Some families also link Alana with Hawaiian or Gaelic words, but our sources do not support those.
Alan (Breton, “Alan (masculine)”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. A feminine of Alan; Alan's origin is uncertain.
Related names: Alanna, Alannah, Alan, Lana.
See also: Celtic names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Alana', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Alana', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
- Wikipedia, 'Alanna', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Nicknames for Alana
The usual nicknames for Alana are Lana. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 girls named Alana in the last five years, 46 were named Lana, against 31 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lana | Modern | #406 | 3,913 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Alanas go by each one.
Alana popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 31 since 1980.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #140 | 2,085 |
| 2020 | #206 | 1,403 |
| 2010 | #170 | 1,819 |
| 2000 | #253 | 1,279 |
| 1990 | #369 | 720 |
| 1980 | #368 | 636 |
| 1970 | #651 | 250 |
| 1960 | #946 | 127 |
| 1950 | #625 | 183 |
| 1940 | #4,359 | 5 |
| 1930 | #2,553 | 12 |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Alana, counting every spelling?
Alana is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #86 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #140 for Alana on its own. Together these spellings went to 3,429 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alana | 2,085 | #140 | 8,519 |
| Alanna | 1,099 | #280 | 3,953 |
| Alannah | 123 | #1,674 | 788 |
| Alanah | 65 | #2,648 | 472 |
| Allana | 50 | #3,169 | 217 |
| Allanah | 7 | #11,997 | 52 |
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 Alana?
2,085 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Alana (0.58 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Alana 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 Alana.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Alana?
About 66,300 people born in the US named Alana are alive today, with a median age of 20; half are between 11 and 32. That makes Alana mostly worn by children and young adults.
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.
Alana by state
How common Alana was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Hawaii (4.4×), Florida (2.4×), New Jersey (1.8×), Connecticut (1.7×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in New Hampshire, Idaho, West Virginia.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Alana: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Alana, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Alana · Sibling names for Alana
Questions about the name Alana
What does Alana mean?
The origin of Alana is uncertain: a feminine of Alan; Alan's origin is uncertain.
How popular is the name Alana?
Alana was the 140th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 2,085 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 62 places. More babies were named Alana in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Is Alana a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Alana in the US.
Where is Alana most popular?
In 2021–2025, Alana was most common in Hawaii (4.62 per 1,000 girls), followed by Florida and New Jersey.