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Allen

Quick answerThe name Allen derives from the Old Irish name Ailéan or the Celtic element "ail" meaning "rock" or "stone," though it is also sometimes considered a variant of Alan, which may stem from the Breton name Alain of uncertain origin.

English · Boy · 2 syllables

A
Top 1,000

Popularity & facts

Relative popularity index, 2010–2025
GenderBoy
US Rank#578
TrendStable
Peak year1951
Syllables2
OriginEnglish
LanguageEnglish
CultureEnglish
ReligionChristianity
Letters5
Numerology8 Chaldean 8
Global rank#403

Popularity over time

Popularity index
Hover the line to see any year. 100 = most popular.

Historical popularity from 1880–2025 · US Social Security Administration data

About the name Allen

The name Allen derives from the Old Irish name Ailéan or the Celtic element "ail" meaning "rock" or "stone," though it is also sometimes considered a variant of Alan, which may stem from the Breton name Alain of uncertain origin.

Cross-referenced with Wikidata/Wikipedia. AI-assisted, community-reviewable. Suggest an improvement.

Etymology

The name Allen derives from the Old Irish name Ailéan or the Celtic element "ail" meaning "rock" or "stone," though it is also sometimes considered a variant of Alan, which may stem from the Breton name Alain of uncertain origin. Allen is primarily used in English-speaking cultures and Christian contexts, with historical prominence in Scotland and Ireland, particularly among Scottish and Irish surnames that were anglicized during medieval times.

Allen currently ranks #578 in the United States as a boy's name. It reached its peak popularity around 1951.

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