Alan
Boy name · Celtic · English · Gaelic · Irish · Scottish
Meaningpossibly little rock · Celtic
- US rank
- #191
- Syllables
- 2
- Peak
- #40 in 1951
1,915 babies were named Alan in the US in 2025. It has climbed 3 places in five years.
Found on lists
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US births per million boys, 1882–2025
Most popular states (2025)
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Alan you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
Famous Alan
Alan Rickman
British actor and director (1946–2016)
Choose Alan and your child shares a first name with Alan Rickman, a British actor and director. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Alan, like who?” Alan Rickman's Wikipedia article is available in 93 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.
Read about Alan Rickman on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Photo: Marie-Lan Nguyen, CC BY 2.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons
- How commonAbout 1 in every 892 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Alan, 1,915 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Alan would very likely be the only one.
- HistoryAlan first shows up in US birth records in 1882, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 143 years since.
- Best yearIt was far more popular in 1951, when it ranked #40. Today it's #191, so it could be due a comeback.
- Where it's lovedAlan is most popular in Texas, where it ranks #128, followed by California (#129) and Florida (#134). It makes the top 1,000 in almost every state.
- MeaningIn Celtic, Alan means “possibly little rock”. Our records link it to Celtic, English and Gaelic roots.
- OriginAlan is the #9 most popular Gaelic boy name in the US. That's out of 297 Gaelic boy and unisex names in our list.
About the name Alan
Alan is a boy name of Celtic, English and Gaelic origin meaning “possibly little rock”. It has 4 letters and 2 syllables, starting with A and ending in “-lan”. US birth records list Alan for boys from 1882 to 2025, in 143 of those 144 years. Its best year was 1951, when it ranked #40 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #191, with 1,915 babies.
Origin:Celtic namesEnglish namesGaelic namesIrish namesScottish names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 57 | 17,444 boys |
| 1890s | 126 | 7,943 boys |
| 1900s | 214 | 4,669 boys |
| 1910s | 294 | 3,405 boys |
| 1920s | 636 | 1,572 boys |
| 1930s | 1,544 | 648 boys |
| 1940s | 3,264 | 306 boys |
| 1950s | 4,164 | 240 boys |
| 1960s | 3,139 | 319 boys |
| 1970s | 1,494 | 669 boys |
| 1980s | 1,455 | 687 boys |
| 1990s | 1,236 | 809 boys |
| 2000s | 1,483 | 674 boys |
| 2010s | 1,286 | 777 boys |
| 2020s | 1,175 | 851 boys |
Other spellings of Alan
More Celtic boy names
- Unisex name: Owen · well-born
- Unisex name: Logan · little hollow
- Unisex name: Rowan · little red-haired one
- Unisex name: Nolan · descendant of Nuallán
- Unisex name: Cameron · crooked nose
- Boy name: Ian · God is gracious
- Unisex name: Gael · a Gael
- Boy name: Arthur · possibly bear
Questions about the name Alan
What does the name Alan mean?
Alan means “possibly little rock” in Celtic.
What is the origin of the name Alan?
Alan has Celtic, English, Gaelic, Irish, Scottish roots in our records. Other Celtic names include Owen, Logan, Rowan.
Is Alan a boy or girl name?
Alan is a boy name.
How popular is the name Alan?
Alan ranked #191 for US boys in 2025, given to 1,915 babies. Its best year was 1951 (#40).