Allen
Breton in origin and unresolved in meaning; “rock” and “handsome” are both proposed.
Popularity, 1880–2025
Allen appears in the national records from the very first year, 1880. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American boys in 83 different years between 1880 and 1968. Its biggest year was 1951, when 5,179 newborn boys received the name, ranking it No. 72 nationally. Its best ranking came in 1940, at No. 71. In 2025 it ranked No. 578 for boys. All told, 273,662 Americans have been given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other spellings on record: Alan (364,389), Allan (96,711), Aileen (37,642), Aylin (16,935), Aline (14,673), Allene (8,767) (total births since 1880)
Explore Allen interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 1,998 | No. 75 |
| 1890s | 2,002 | No. 82 |
| 1900s | 2,558 | No. 84 |
| 1910s | 11,493 | No. 92 |
| 1920s | 20,092 | No. 86 |
| 1930s | 24,356 | No. 72 |
| 1940s | 39,049 | No. 71 |
| 1950s | 47,322 | No. 71 |
| 1960s | 37,694 | No. 90 |
| 1970s | 21,667 | No. 113 |
| 1980s | 21,904 | No. 120 |
| 1990s | 16,951 | No. 141 |
| 2000s | 12,581 | No. 243 |
| 2010s | 8,821 | No. 317 |
| 2020s | 3,308 | No. 463 |
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.