Allen
Boy name · Celtic Gaelic · English · Irish · Scottish
- US rank
- #578
- Syllables
- 2
- Peak
- #71 in 1950
507 babies were named Allen in the US in 2025. It has dropped 115 places in five years.
Save adds it to your list. Vote moves it up the top voted names.
US births per million boys, 1880–2025
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 Allen you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
Famous Allen
Allen Ginsberg
American poet and writer (1926–1997)
Choose Allen and your child shares a first name with Allen Ginsberg, an American poet and writer. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Allen, like who?” Allen Ginsberg's Wikipedia article is available in 94 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.
Read about Allen Ginsberg on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Photo: Hans van Dijk for Anefo, CC0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons
- How commonAbout 1 in every 3,369 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Allen, 507 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Allen would very likely be the only one.
- HistoryAllen has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Allens, and counting.
- Best yearIt was far more popular in 1950, when it ranked #71. Today it's #578, so it could be due a comeback.
- Then vs nowAllen was 2.3× more common in 2000 than it is today. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 1,454 baby boys; in 2025, about 1 in 3,369.
- TrendAllen has slipped 115 places over the last five years and now sits at #578. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
- Where it's lovedAllen is most popular in Louisiana, where it ranks #293, followed by Pennsylvania (#342) and Mississippi (#370). It's in the top 1,000 in 32 states.
- OriginAllen is the #4 most popular Celtic Gaelic boy name in the US. That's out of 115 Celtic Gaelic boy and unisex names in our list.
About the name Allen
Allen is a boy name of Celtic Gaelic, English and Irish origin. It has 5 letters and 2 syllables, starting with A and ending in “-len”. US birth records list Allen for boys from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1950, when it ranked #71 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #578, with 507 babies.
Origin:Celtic Gaelic namesEnglish namesIrish namesScottish names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 1,821 | 549 boys |
| 1890s | 1,755 | 570 boys |
| 1900s | 1,886 | 530 boys |
| 1910s | 1,731 | 578 boys |
| 1920s | 1,823 | 548 boys |
| 1930s | 2,302 | 434 boys |
| 1940s | 2,613 | 383 boys |
| 1950s | 2,354 | 425 boys |
| 1960s | 1,946 | 514 boys |
| 1970s | 1,308 | 765 boys |
| 1980s | 1,187 | 842 boys |
| 1990s | 867 | 1,154 boys |
| 2000s | 631 | 1,584 boys |
| 2010s | 468 | 2,135 boys |
| 2020s | 319 | 3,133 boys |
Other spellings of Allen
More Celtic Gaelic boy names
- Boy name: Bowen · son of Owen
- Boy name: Malcolm · devotee of Saint Columba
- Boy name: Danny · God is my judge
- Boy name: Calum · dove
- Unisex name: Bowie · yellow-haired
- Boy name: Cian · ancient
- Unisex name: Naveen · new
- Boy name: Earl · nobleman
Questions about the name Allen
What is the origin of the name Allen?
Allen has Celtic Gaelic, English, Irish, Scottish roots in our records. Other Celtic Gaelic names include Bowen, Malcolm, Danny.
Is Allen a boy or girl name?
Allen is a boy name.
How popular is the name Allen?
Allen ranked #578 for US boys in 2025, given to 507 babies. Its best year was 1950 (#71).