Alan
Breton in origin and unresolved in meaning; “rock” and “handsome” are both proposed.
Popularity, 1880–2025
Alan first shows up in the national records in 1882. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American boys in every year from 1938 to 1971. Its biggest year was 1955, when 9,037 newborn boys received the name, ranking it No. 43 nationally. Its best ranking came in 1951, at No. 40. In 2025 it ranked No. 191 for boys. All told, 364,389 Americans have been given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other spellings on record: Allen (273,662), Allan (96,711), Aileen (37,642), Aylin (16,935), Aline (14,673), Allene (8,767) (total births since 1880)
Explore Alan interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 51 | No. 604 |
| 1890s | 144 | No. 426 |
| 1900s | 293 | No. 348 |
| 1910s | 2,020 | No. 299 |
| 1920s | 7,013 | No. 146 |
| 1930s | 16,374 | No. 85 |
| 1940s | 50,302 | No. 45 |
| 1950s | 83,976 | No. 40 |
| 1960s | 61,392 | No. 50 |
| 1970s | 24,813 | No. 91 |
| 1980s | 26,825 | No. 102 |
| 1990s | 24,094 | No. 126 |
| 2000s | 29,647 | No. 122 |
| 2010s | 24,199 | No. 153 |
| 2020s | 12,170 | No. 167 |
Births and rank shown for boys, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.
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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.