Alan Name Meaning, Origin, Popularity, Boy Names Like Alan

Alan Name Origin: English
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.

Alan Name Popularity

How popular is the name Alan? Here’s everything we know.

Year	Rank	# Births	% Births
1910	—	27	0.0077%
1911	—	25	0.0067%
1912	—	66	0.0131%
1913	—	108	0.019%
1914	—	136	0.0195%
1915	—	190	0.0209%
1916	—	210	0.0217%
1917	—	269	0.0269%
1918	—	285	0.0266%
1919	—	284	0.0271%
1920	—	395	0.0355%
1921	—	331	0.0289%
1922	—	426	0.0382%
1923	—	556	0.0496%
1924	—	588	0.0506%
1925	—	758	0.0671%
1926	—	800	0.0727%
1927	—	776	0.0701%
1928	—	927	0.0866%
1929	—	1,064	0.1027%
1930	—	1,277	0.1223%
1931	—	1,393	0.1411%
1932	—	1,320	0.1336%
1933	—	1,317	0.1414%
1934	—	1,346	0.1392%
1935	—	1,394	0.1434%
1936	—	1,736	0.1802%
1937	—	1,829	0.1856%
1938	—	2,233	0.2181%
1939	—	2,306	0.2267%
1940	—	2,356	0.2217%
1941	—	2,615	0.2323%
1942	—	3,132	0.248%
1943	—	3,850	0.2949%
1944	—	4,270	0.3445%
1945	—	5,070	0.4157%
1946	—	6,487	0.4396%
1947	—	7,820	0.4685%
1948	—	7,391	0.463%
1949	—	7,256	0.4511%
1950	—	7,738	0.4806%
1951	—	8,413	0.4962%
1952	—	8,306	0.4758%
1953	—	8,444	0.4771%
1954	—	8,710	0.4765%
1955	—	9,028	0.4908%
1956	—	8,722	0.4618%
1957	—	8,208	0.4265%
1958	—	8,227	0.4353%
1959	—	8,148	0.4289%
1960	—	8,357	0.4411%
1961	—	8,617	0.4564%
1962	—	7,712	0.4201%
1963	—	6,935	0.3863%
1964	—	6,810	0.3869%
1965	—	5,618	0.3435%
1966	—	4,944	0.3167%
1967	—	4,564	0.3007%
1968	—	3,980	0.2651%
1969	—	3,860	0.2506%
1970	—	3,560	0.2237%
1971	—	3,164	0.2106%
1972	—	2,576	0.1891%
1973	—	2,266	0.1748%
1974	—	2,228	0.1714%
1975	—	2,243	0.1745%
1976	—	2,186	0.1696%
1977	—	2,128	0.1579%
1978	—	2,112	0.1571%
1979	—	2,325	0.1649%
1980	—	2,669	0.1825%
1981	—	2,591	0.1763%
1982	—	2,681	0.1794%
1983	—	2,766	0.1874%
1984	—	2,701	0.1816%
1985	—	2,678	0.1764%
1986	—	2,637	0.1747%
1987	—	2,583	0.1693%
1988	—	2,752	0.1766%
1989	—	2,723	0.1687%
1990	—	2,629	0.1586%
1991	—	2,536	0.1556%
1992	—	2,596	0.1626%
1993	—	2,547	0.1634%
1994	—	2,406	0.1568%
1995	—	2,272	0.1508%
1996	—	2,423	0.1618%
1997	—	2,155	0.1457%
1998	—	2,103	0.1405%
1999	—	2,220	0.1482%
2000	—	2,394	0.1567%
2001	—	2,621	0.174%
2002	—	2,592	0.173%
2003	—	3,079	0.2024%
2004	—	3,051	0.2002%
2005	—	3,189	0.2086%
2006	—	3,445	0.22%
2007	—	3,229	0.2047%
2008	—	3,002	0.1942%
2009	—	2,818	0.1885%
2010	—	2,487	0.1726%
2011	—	2,321	0.1629%
2012	—	2,254	0.1582%
2013	—	2,581	0.1813%
2014	—	2,471	0.1696%
2015	—	2,464	0.1693%
2016	—	2,609	0.181%
2017	—	2,408	0.1725%
2018	—	2,221	0.1617%
2019	—	2,123	0.1568%
2020	—	1,916	0.1505%
2021	—	1,895	0.155%
2022	—	1,979	0.15%
2023	—	2,146	0.1658%

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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.

Name	Meaning	Origin
Ailean	Precious	German
Ailin	Precious	German
Al
Alain		French
Alair	Cheerful; precious	Latin
Aland	Precious	German
Alann	Precious	German
Alano	Precious	German
Alanson	Precious	German
Alen	Precious	German
Alin	Precious	German
Allain	Precious	German
Allan	Precious	German
Allayne	Precious	German

Allen	Little rock	English
Alley	Precious	German
Alleyn	Precious	German
Alleyne	Precious	German
Allie	Precious; noble, bright, famous; man's defender, warrior	Greek
Allin	Precious	German
Allon	Precious; oak tree	Hebrew
Allyn	Precious	German
Alon	Oak tree	Hebrew
Alun		Welsh
Alyn	Precious	German

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
Elan	Oak tree	Hebrew
Ilan	Tree	Hebrew

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
Elwyn	White, fair, holy	Welsh

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
Nova	New	Latin

Logan	Small hollow	Scottish

Share Your Thoughts

3 Comments

Lizette May 17 at 12:44 am

We didn’t know the gender until baby was born . If it was a girl I chose and since it was a boy dad chose. He likes Alan because it’s a short name and unique.

Reply
Lauren May 6 at 7:20 pm

Alan is named after someone close to my husband who was killed in action who served in Iraq. I like using the shortened name Al. It reminds me of the Paul Simon classic “You can call me Al”.

Reply
Jackie Feb 2 at 2:22 pm

We named our last baby boy Alan James the 3rd after my husband and his father.

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