Alan
Brought to Britain by Breton followers of William the Conqueror. Its meaning has never been settled; proposals include Celtic words for rock and for handsome.
Alan in 2025
Alan was given to 1,915 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 357th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 1,731 babies born.
The history of Alan
Alan reached its highest point in 1955, when 9,052 babies were given the name, ranking 85th that year.
Across the 144 years of records since 1882, 364,389 babies have been named Alan. Half of them were born before 1962, which places the name's centre of gravity with the Baby Boomers.
Alan by decade
| Decade | Babies named Alan | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 51 | 1,258 |
| 1890s | 144 | 1,091 |
| 1900s | 293 | 926 |
| 1910s | 2,020 | 653 |
| 1920s | 7,045 | 325 |
| 1930s | 16,409 | 199 |
| 1940s | 50,392 | 93 |
| 1950s | 84,118 | 85 |
| 1960s | 61,587 | 102 |
| 1970s | 24,958 | 203 |
| 1980s | 26,997 | 205 |
| 1990s | 24,198 | 249 |
| 2000s | 29,741 | 219 |
| 2010s | 24,266 | 283 |
| 2020s | 12,170 | 306 |
Where Alan is heading
Alan has fallen 23% over the past decade, from 2,500 babies in 2015 to 1,915 in 2025.
Names like Alan
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Alan.