Alen
Alen was the 3244th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 36 babies. Its best year was 2005, when it ranked 1635th with 83 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 786 places. More babies were named Alen in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Alan) Origin uncertain · Breton, Celtic
- Rank in 2025
- #3,244 boys, down 316 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 36boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 200583 babies
- Total since 1880
- 2,371babies recorded
What does the name Alen mean?
Alen is a spelling of Alan, pronounced the same way, so it shares Alan's meaning and origin.
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
Alen popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #3,244 | 36 |
| 2020 | #2,928 | 40 |
| 2010 | #2,580 | 47 |
| 2000 | #1,815 | 59 |
| 1990 | #2,698 | 24 |
| 1980 | #2,003 | 27 |
| 1970 | #3,074 | 10 |
| 1960 | #2,042 | 16 |
| 1950 | #2,774 | 8 |
| 1940 | #2,480 | 9 |
| 1930 | #4,007 | 5 |
| 1920 | #4,299 | 5 |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Alen, counting every spelling?
Alen is a spelling of Alan, a name family that ranked #142 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #3,244 for Alen 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 Alen?
36 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Alen (0.01 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Alen 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 233 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Alen.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Alen?
About 2,100 people born in the US named Alen are alive today, with a median age of 22; half are between 13 and 36. That makes Alen 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.
Alen by state
How common Alen was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in California (2.4×). In 46 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Alen: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Alen, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Alen
What does Alen mean?
The origin of Alan is uncertain: sources disagree; 'deer' (DMNES) is one proposal among several.
How popular is the name Alen?
Alen was the 3244th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 36 babies. Its best year was 2005, when it ranked 1635th with 83 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 786 places. More babies were named Alen in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Is Alen a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Alen in the US.
Where is Alen most popular?
In 2021–2025, Alen was most common in California (0.06 per 1,000 boys), followed by New York and Florida.