The first name Alan
A boy’s name meaning “noble”.
Pronounced /ˈæl.ən/ 2 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Alan means “noble”.
From Old Breton Alan, name of early Breton saints, of disputed origin and meaning; brought to England by Normans. It may have been the name of a Celtic deity, the brother of Bran, Welsh Alawn, Alun. As an early Irish name, perhaps connected with ail (“noble”). Compare French Alain.
More names that mean noble.
A form of Elon.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 72 boys were named Alan, making it the 539th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 2015, with 346 births (#170).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Alan with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Alan at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 1,915 boys born in the United States were named Alan, the 191st most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1955, when 9,037 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Alan in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Alan in Czech, Dutch, Portuguese and Slovak too.
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named Alan
469 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Alan TuringEnglish computer scientist (1912–1954)
- Alan RickmanBritish actor and director (1946–2016)
- Alan ShearerEnglish footballer, born 1970
- Alan ArkinAmerican actor, filmmaker (1934–2023)
- Alan ShepardAmerican astronaut, first American in space, lunar explorer (1923–1998)
- Alan MooreBritish comic book author (born 1953)
- Alan AldaAmerican actor (born 1936)
- Alan GreenspanAmerican economist and financial advisor (1926–2026)
- Alan ParkerBritish filmmaker (1944–2020)
- Alan BeanAmerican astronaut and painter (1932-2018)
- Alan J. HeegerAmerican chemist, physicist, born 1936
- Alan SilvestriAmerican composer, conductor, orchestrator and music producer, born 1950
Questions
- What does the name Alan mean?
- Alan means “noble”.
- How popular is the name Alan?
- In 2025, 72 boys born in England and Wales were named Alan, ranking 539th. Its peak was 2015, with 346 births.
- Is Alan a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 364,389 US babies named Alan since 1880 were boys.
- When was Alan most popular?
- 1955 in the United States, when 9,037 babies were named Alan, its highest rank at 43rd.
- How do you pronounce Alan?
- Alan is /ˈæl.ən/, 2 syllables.
- What name is Alan a form of?
- Alan is a form of Elon.
- What are other spellings of Alan?
- Allan, Allen and Alen.
- Is Alan also a surname?
- Yes. Alan is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.