Alan
English · Boy · 2 syllables
Popularity & facts
Relative popularity index, 2010–2025Popularity over time
Popularity indexHistorical popularity from 1880–2025 · US Social Security Administration data
About the name Alan
The name Alan derives from the Gaelic word "ailin" or Old Irish "ailín," meaning "little rock" or "noble," with possible Breton roots in "Alan" meaning "handsome" or "fair." The name has been used across Celtic cultures, particularly in Ireland, Scotland, and Brittany, and became widespread throughout Europe and the English-speaking world, notably borne by medieval Breton saints and Norman nobility.
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Etymology
The name Alan derives from the Gaelic word "ailin" or Old Irish "ailín," meaning "little rock" or "noble," with possible Breton roots in "Alan" meaning "handsome" or "fair." The name has been used across Celtic cultures, particularly in Ireland, Scotland, and Brittany, and became widespread throughout Europe and the English-speaking world, notably borne by medieval Breton saints and Norman nobility.
Alan currently ranks #191 in the United States as a boy's name. It reached its peak popularity around 1955.
Variants & nicknames
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Sibling name ideas
English, Scottish, Breton, French, Polish, Kurdish names that sit beautifully beside AlanSimilar names you might like
Names starting with AMore names starting with A
- Aaron
- Aarti
- Aada
- Aava
- Aaliyah
- Aathira
- Aaro
- Aarav
- Aadhya
- Abbie
- Aarne
- Aakash
- Aayan
- Aariv
- Aarya
- Aamir
- Aarohi
- Aaira
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Names that sound like Alan
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