Alan
How to say it: AL-un · /ˈælən/
Of uncertain meaning, possibly of Brythonic origin meaning 'little rock' or derived from the tribal name of the Alans; brought to England by Breton settlers after the Norman Conquest. source 1
Alan was the 152nd most popular boys’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 1,915 babies (Social Security Administration). Its busiest decade was the 1950s, its births are down about 31% in ten years, and it is projected to slip to #169 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · Insee 2025 data, published July 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among boys’ names, 2025 | #152 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 1,915 |
| Share of births | 1 in 1,253 |
| Peak decade | 1950s |
| Change over 10 years | −31% |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #169 |
| In France, 2025 | #334 among boys’ names, 110 births |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA), Insee (France). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
In the 1950s Alan was at its strongest. Well below that level today and getting rarer, it is expected to slip onward.
What goes with it
Gentle and soft sounding, Alan feels calm and familiar. Colin shares its style and Al is the usual short form.
Middle names that flow with Alan →
Nicknames
- Al
Honouring a Alan in the family
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Alan is about 1 in 53.
Around the world
This spelling is used in Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Welsh.
In France: #334 for boys in 2025.
Ireland: #232.
Famous people named Alan
- Alan Turing (1912–1954)English computer scientist
- Alan Shearer (born 1970)English footballer
- Alan Rickman (1946–2016)British actor and director
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
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