Boy · Breton
Alan
Say it: AL-un
Meaning
A Breton name of uncertain meaning; 'harmony' and 'little rock' are popular glosses without firm support.
Uncertainseveral explanations, none settled.
Brought by Bretons who came with William the Conqueror and well established in northern England.
Its wave through time
Most used in the 1950s
In the United States
- 354,144 babies given this name since 1882
- At its height in 1951, about 1 in 224 boys
- 1,956 babies in 2020
Through the ages
- The Early Middle Ages400 to 800
- The High and Late Middle Ages1100 to 1450
- The Renaissance1400 to 1600
- The Modern Age1880 to today
Used by
The family of the name
Other spellings: Alain, Allan, Alein
| French | Alain |
|---|---|
| Scottish Gaelic | Ailean |
| Breton | Alan |
Famous bearers
- Alan Rufus, Breton companion of William the Conqueror and lord of Richmond
- Alain IV, duke of Brittany
Names worth a look
Where this comes from
- The Domesday Book (1086) source
- Medieval European charters and records
- United States Social Security birth records, 1880 to today source
Meanings and histories are compiled from the study of names and their languages and checked by a second review.
Meanings and histories are drawn from the study of names and their languages, each with a confidence rating; popularity figures come from official birth records. Name histories are a living field: if you know of a correction, we would be glad to hear it.