Nameling

Alan

Gender
Boy
Say it
AL-an
Origin
Celtic
UK rank, 2025
#552 for boys
US rank, 2025
#191 for boys

Timeless

Alan is a boys' name of Celtic origin. In 2025 it ranked 552nd for boys in the UK (77 babies) and 191st for boys in the US (1,915 babies).

What does Alan mean?

Celtic: Breton, brought to England by the Normans

Brought to England by Bretons who came with William the Conqueror; the meaning is uncertain.

More on Wiktionary.

Is Alan a girl's or a boy's name?

Alan is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 77 boys in the UK and 1,915 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.

How popular is Alan in the UK?

Rank in 2025
#552among boys
Babies in 2025
77about 1 in 3,900 boys
Five-year trend
Fallingdown 58% in five years
Same name in a class
under 1%chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 77 boys in the UK were named Alan, making it the 552nd most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 293rd. Its busiest year was 2015, with 405 boys.

Half of all the boys named Alan in the UK since 1996 were born between 2003 and 2015. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.

In 2025, 92 boys in the UK were given Alan or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #463, up from #552 for this spelling alone.

Among boys in 2025, it was 539th in England and Wales and 560th in Scotland.

In the England and Wales top 100 for boys, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1904 (#62), 1914 (#58), 1924 (#37), 1934 (#13), 1944 (#8), 1954 (#8), 1964 (#21), 1974 (#36) and 1984 (#58).

1996Busiest: 405 in 20152025
Alan in the UK, year by year
YearBoysRank
202577#552
202474#574
2023102#439
202298#457
2021148#345
2020179#293
2019181#300
2018239#244
2017295#208
2016358#181
2015405#164
2014351#184
2013352#187
2012376#176
2011321#194
2010307#196
2009322#188
2008267#201
2007246#215
2006186#237
2005193#215
2004163#239
2003158#234
2002169#211
2001165#215
2000182#199
1999215#177
1998267#152
1997283#151
1996326#137

How popular is Alan in the US?

Rank in 2025
#191among boys
Babies in 2025
1,915about 1 in 890 boys
Five-year trend
Steadydown 1% in five years
Same name in a class
1.6%chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 1,915 boys in the US were named Alan, making it the 191st most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 194th. Its busiest year was 1955, with 9,037 boys. It first appears in the records in 1882.

2025 had fewer boys named Alan than any year since 1937.

Half of all the boys named Alan in the US since 1880 were born between 1951 and 1989, the years shaded on the chart below.

In 2025, 2,712 boys in the US were given Alan or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #149, up from #191 for this spelling alone.

1882Busiest: 9,037 in 19552025
Alan in the US, year by year
YearBoysRank
20251,915#191
20242,188#167
20232,164#167
20222,006#189
20211,931#197
20201,966#194
20192,142#182
20182,250#174
20172,442#159
20162,630#155
20152,487#167
20142,500#170
20132,607#153
20122,285#170
20112,343#164
20102,513#156
20092,847#142
20083,027#135
20073,249#130
20063,475#122
20053,205#128
20043,062#132
20033,098#131
20022,625#150
20012,644#148
20002,415#161
19992,249#164
19982,138#161
19972,177#158
19962,447#143
19952,293#153
19942,435#144
19932,564#132
19922,606#129
19912,545#128
19902,640#126
19892,733#120
19882,754#110
19872,586#112
19862,648#107
19852,684#109
19842,702#105
19832,771#102
19822,687#107
19812,589#112
19802,671#112
19792,322#116
19782,122#122
19772,134#126
19762,186#115
19752,248#115
19742,231#118
19732,269#115
19722,580#110
19713,168#99
19703,553#91
19693,852#76
19683,976#74
19674,572#61
19664,943#57
19655,612#59
19646,810#53
19636,935#56
19627,719#53
19618,617#51
19608,356#50
19598,151#50
19588,226#49
19578,208#48
19568,734#44
19559,037#43
19548,711#43
19538,454#43
19528,310#42
19518,408#40
19507,737#41
19497,255#45
19487,394#46
19477,823#45
19466,490#49
19455,073#52
19444,277#55
19433,855#67
19423,134#81
19412,624#84
19402,377#88
19392,330#85
19382,241#91
19371,846#103
19361,755#108
19351,425#122
19341,369#124
19331,345#122
19321,339#127
19311,423#120
19301,301#136
19291,101#146
1928964#157
1927808#178
1926836#174
1925804#179
1924625#217
1923588#221
1922479#256
1921375#289
1920433#263
1919330#299
1918333#302
1917310#299
1916251#338
1915238#346
1914184#344
1913158#321
1912102#381
191155#379
191059#321
190945#348
190831#429
190738#359
190628#411
190523#463
190429#379
190325#393
190227#380
190120#422
190027#430
189916#481
189814#572
189719#438
189613#592
189521#426
189411#630
189312#572
189217#480
18919#635
189012#566
188910#628
18886#917
18875#921
18865#959
188510#604
18849#663
18830–
18826#836

Nicknames for Alan

Names like Alan

Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.

Robin Michael David Kevin Nathan Aaron Evan Daniel Patrick Anthony Ethan Ivan

Other spellings of Alan

Allen Allan Alen Alon Alann Alyn

Names related to Alan

Alyaan Alin Aliyan Alyan Aylan Alihan Waylan Alain

More Celtic names

Arthur Imogen Gael Harvey Alana Tristan Vienna Lana Alaina Sabrina Alanna Bryce Devon Arturo Alannah Cedric

Every Celtic name

Sources

Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.

To cite this page: Nameling, “Alan: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/alan, updated 20 October 2026.