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Alan Name Origin: English
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Pronunciation: ahl-en
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Alan Name Meaning
The name Alan is of Celtic origin and it means “bright” or “handsome”.
Origins of the Name Alan
The name Alan is derived from the Old Welsh word “alun” which means “fair, bright, white”. In the Middle Ages, the name Alan was very common in England and Scotland, where it was used as a first name for boys, as well as a surname.
Popularity of the Name Alan
The name Alan has been a consistently popular name throughout history. In the United States, the name Alan was most popular in the mid-20th century and it has been fluctuating in popularity ever since. According to the Social Security Administration, Alan was the 231th most popular boy’s name in the United States in 2020.
Famous Alans
While the name Alan is a common one, there have been a number of notable people throughout history who have borne the name. Here are a few famous Alans that you may have heard of:
- Alan Turing, a British mathematician and logician who is considered to be the father of theoretical computer science and artificial intelligence.
- Alan Rickman, a British actor and director best known for his role as Professor Snape in the Harry Potter films.
- Alan Bean, an American astronaut and naval officer who was the fourth person to walk on the Moon.
- Alan Greenspan, an American economist who served as the Chairman of the Federal Reserve of the United States from 1987 to 2006.
- Alan Alda, an American actor, director, screenwriter, and author best known for his portrayal of Hawkeye Pierce in the television series MAS*H.
Final Thoughts on the Name Alan
The name Alan may be a common one, but it has a rich history and a powerful meaning. The name is of Celtic origin and it means “bright” or “handsome”. It is also a name that has been popular throughout history and it is a classic choice for a baby boy. And with famous Alans ranging from mathematicians to actors, your little Alan is sure to make his mark on the world.
Infographic of Alan name meaning, which is An English name, Alan means little rock.
Ask your friends & family about Alan…
Alan Name Popularity
How popular is the name Alan? Here’s everything we know.
| Year |
Rank |
# Births |
% Births |
| 1910 |
328 |
27 |
0.0077% |
| 1911 |
369 |
25 |
0.0067% |
| 1912 |
372 |
66 |
0.0131% |
| 1913 |
339 |
108 |
0.019% |
| 1914 |
352 |
136 |
0.0195% |
| 1915 |
350 |
190 |
0.0209% |
| 1916 |
342 |
210 |
0.0217% |
| 1917 |
302 |
269 |
0.0269% |
| 1918 |
310 |
285 |
0.0266% |
| 1919 |
305 |
284 |
0.0271% |
| 1920 |
263 |
395 |
0.0355% |
| 1921 |
297 |
331 |
0.0289% |
| 1922 |
261 |
426 |
0.0382% |
| 1923 |
219 |
556 |
0.0496% |
| 1924 |
218 |
588 |
0.0506% |
| 1925 |
182 |
758 |
0.0671% |
| 1926 |
173 |
800 |
0.0727% |
| 1927 |
179 |
776 |
0.0701% |
| 1928 |
159 |
927 |
0.0866% |
| 1929 |
146 |
1,064 |
0.1027% |
| 1930 |
136 |
1,277 |
0.1223% |
| 1931 |
120 |
1,393 |
0.1411% |
| 1932 |
127 |
1,320 |
0.1336% |
| 1933 |
123 |
1,317 |
0.1414% |
| 1934 |
124 |
1,346 |
0.1392% |
| 1935 |
122 |
1,394 |
0.1434% |
| 1936 |
108 |
1,736 |
0.1802% |
| 1937 |
103 |
1,829 |
0.1856% |
| 1938 |
91 |
2,233 |
0.2181% |
| 1939 |
86 |
2,306 |
0.2267% |
| 1940 |
88 |
2,356 |
0.2217% |
| 1941 |
84 |
2,615 |
0.2323% |
| 1942 |
81 |
3,132 |
0.248% |
| 1943 |
67 |
3,850 |
0.2949% |
| 1944 |
55 |
4,270 |
0.3445% |
| 1945 |
52 |
5,070 |
0.4157% |
| 1946 |
49 |
6,487 |
0.4396% |
| 1947 |
45 |
7,820 |
0.4685% |
| 1948 |
46 |
7,391 |
0.463% |
| 1949 |
45 |
7,256 |
0.4511% |
| 1950 |
41 |
7,738 |
0.4806% |
| 1951 |
40 |
8,413 |
0.4962% |
| 1952 |
42 |
8,306 |
0.4758% |
| 1953 |
43 |
8,444 |
0.4771% |
| 1954 |
43 |
8,710 |
0.4765% |
| 1955 |
43 |
9,028 |
0.4908% |
| 1956 |
44 |
8,722 |
0.4618% |
| 1957 |
48 |
8,208 |
0.4265% |
| 1958 |
49 |
8,227 |
0.4353% |
| 1959 |
50 |
8,148 |
0.4289% |
| 1960 |
50 |
8,357 |
0.4411% |
| 1961 |
51 |
8,617 |
0.4564% |
| 1962 |
53 |
7,712 |
0.4201% |
| 1963 |
56 |
6,935 |
0.3863% |
| 1964 |
53 |
6,810 |
0.3869% |
| 1965 |
59 |
5,618 |
0.3435% |
| 1966 |
57 |
4,944 |
0.3167% |
| 1967 |
61 |
4,564 |
0.3007% |
| 1968 |
71 |
3,980 |
0.2651% |
| 1969 |
76 |
3,860 |
0.2506% |
| 1970 |
90 |
3,560 |
0.2237% |
| 1971 |
99 |
3,164 |
0.2106% |
| 1972 |
109 |
2,576 |
0.1891% |
| 1973 |
114 |
2,266 |
0.1748% |
| 1974 |
117 |
2,228 |
0.1714% |
| 1975 |
115 |
2,243 |
0.1745% |
| 1976 |
115 |
2,186 |
0.1696% |
| 1977 |
126 |
2,128 |
0.1579% |
| 1978 |
122 |
2,112 |
0.1571% |
| 1979 |
115 |
2,325 |
0.1649% |
| 1980 |
111 |
2,669 |
0.1825% |
| 1981 |
112 |
2,591 |
0.1763% |
| 1982 |
107 |
2,681 |
0.1794% |
| 1983 |
102 |
2,766 |
0.1874% |
| 1984 |
105 |
2,701 |
0.1816% |
| 1985 |
108 |
2,678 |
0.1764% |
| 1986 |
107 |
2,637 |
0.1747% |
| 1987 |
112 |
2,583 |
0.1693% |
| 1988 |
109 |
2,752 |
0.1766% |
| 1989 |
119 |
2,723 |
0.1687% |
| 1990 |
125 |
2,629 |
0.1586% |
| 1991 |
128 |
2,536 |
0.1556% |
| 1992 |
129 |
2,596 |
0.1626% |
| 1993 |
132 |
2,547 |
0.1634% |
| 1994 |
145 |
2,406 |
0.1568% |
| 1995 |
153 |
2,272 |
0.1508% |
| 1996 |
144 |
2,423 |
0.1618% |
| 1997 |
158 |
2,155 |
0.1457% |
| 1998 |
162 |
2,103 |
0.1405% |
| 1999 |
165 |
2,220 |
0.1482% |
| 2000 |
161 |
2,394 |
0.1567% |
| 2001 |
150 |
2,621 |
0.174% |
| 2002 |
153 |
2,592 |
0.173% |
| 2003 |
132 |
3,079 |
0.2024% |
| 2004 |
132 |
3,051 |
0.2002% |
| 2005 |
128 |
3,189 |
0.2086% |
| 2006 |
122 |
3,445 |
0.22% |
| 2007 |
130 |
3,229 |
0.2047% |
| 2008 |
135 |
3,002 |
0.1942% |
| 2009 |
142 |
2,818 |
0.1885% |
| 2010 |
156 |
2,487 |
0.1726% |
| 2011 |
164 |
2,321 |
0.1629% |
| 2012 |
172 |
2,254 |
0.1582% |
| 2013 |
154 |
2,581 |
0.1813% |
| 2014 |
170 |
2,471 |
0.1696% |
| 2015 |
167 |
2,464 |
0.1693% |
| 2016 |
154 |
2,609 |
0.181% |
| 2017 |
161 |
2,408 |
0.1725% |
| 2018 |
173 |
2,221 |
0.1617% |
| 2019 |
182 |
2,123 |
0.1568% |
| 2020 |
194 |
1,916 |
0.1505% |
| 2021 |
198 |
1,895 |
0.155% |
District of Columbia (DC)
Data via SSA.gov.
Names Like Alan
If you like Alan, you’ll love these other names like Alan.
What names are variants of Alan?
Mix it up with these names that are a variation of the name Alan.
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Allen
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Little rock
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English
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Alley
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Precious
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German
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Alleyn
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Precious
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German
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Alleyne
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Precious
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German
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Allie
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Precious; noble, bright, famous; man's defender, warrior
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Greek
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Allin
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Precious
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German
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Allon
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Precious; oak tree
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Hebrew
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Allyn
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Precious
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German
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Alon
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Oak tree
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Hebrew
|
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Alun
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Welsh
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Alyn
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Precious
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German
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What names sound like Alan?
If you like how Alan sounds, you might also like these names that sound like Alan.
| Name |
Meaning |
Origin |
Popularity |
Other Gender |
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Elan
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Oak tree
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Hebrew
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Ilan
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Tree
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Hebrew
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What names are similar to Alan?
Find a name that’s like Alan, but just a little bit different.
| Name |
Meaning |
Origin |
Popularity |
Other Gender |
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Elwyn
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White, fair, holy
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Welsh
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Lists With Alan
Find inspiration in these baby boy name lists featuring the name Alan.
Siblings of Alan
Mamas with kids named Alan also have kids with these names.
| Name |
Meaning |
Origin |
Popularity |
Other Gender |
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Nova
|
New
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Latin
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|
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Logan
|
Small hollow
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Scottish
|
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