Older literal meaning disputed in the reviewed Celtic name history.
The exact entry explicitly describes the older origin and meaning as disputed, giving several proposed Celtic associations. The licensed fair or handsome gloss is not treated as a settled translation. The Sarmatian ethnic noun on the same page is a separate sense.
Origin
Old Breton name tradition, carried into English by the Normans; deeper roots disputed.
The exact English personal-name entry documents Breton and Norman transmission while leaving the older derivation uncertain. Other same-spelled ethnic and place-name uses are not merged with it.
English pronunciation
/ˈæl.ən/
Recorded English personal-name reading, approximately AL-un, with first-syllable stress.
Recorded English reading, as published. Accents and preferred pronunciations can differ.
Published name usage
Counts apply only to the exact spelling, place, year and recorded usage shown. Places are separate; these figures are never added into a worldwide total. Missing or suppressed records never mean zero.
Latest published record available for this spelling in each place and recorded usage
Place
Year
Recorded usage
Published births
Rank
Notes
Canada
2025
Boys
62 · preliminary
486
2025 figures are preliminary. Quebec counts below five are randomly imputed by the publisher before national aggregation. Accents are removed in the source; this profile was matched only where the catalog spelling was unambiguous. Unpublished values are unknown, not zero. Rank basis: source published.
France
2025
Boys
105 (rounded to 5)
448
Counts are rounded to the nearest multiple of five. Ranks use unrounded publisher counts with randomly ordered ties; equally rounded counts can have different ranks. National coverage excludes Mayotte before 2012. Missing years are unavailable, not zero. Automated direction labels are withheld for this rounded-count series. Rank basis: source published.
England & Wales
2025
Boys
72
539
Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: source published.
Northern Ireland
2023
Boys
4
348
Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: source published.
Scotland
2025
Boys
5
560
Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: source published.
Ireland
2025
Boys
20
232
Names below three occurrences are unpublished. Accent recording changed in 2018; comparisons across that boundary may not describe the same spelling coverage. Counts refer to registrations in the year. Missing years are unavailable, not zero. Rank basis: source published.
United States
2018
Girls
5
15682
Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: calculated from published counts.
United States
2025
Boys
1,915
191
Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: calculated from published counts.
Canada, Ireland and France coverage includes confidently matched existing profiles only; unmatched spellings are awaiting review. French counts are rounded to five.
Sources & notes
Open an entry for its source, credit, licence and full qualifications. Different name traditions remain separate.
Language of use: English
Checked against cited source
The exact English personal-name section records male given-name use. Credit: Wiktionary contributors, exact Alan entries. Sources: https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=Alan&oldid=91690208. License: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Adaptation: Rare Baby Names summarized the documented name route or language-specific relationship. No source audio, images or quotations reused.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
Meaning: Older literal meaning disputed in the reviewed Celtic name history.
Checked against cited source
The exact entry explicitly describes the older origin and meaning as disputed, giving several proposed Celtic associations. The licensed fair or handsome gloss is not treated as a settled translation. The Sarmatian ethnic noun on the same page is a separate sense. Credit: Wiktionary contributors, exact Alan entries. Sources: https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=Alan&oldid=91690208. License: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Adaptation: Rare Baby Names summarized the documented name route or language-specific relationship. No source audio, images or quotations reused.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
Nickname: Al
Checked against cited source
English given-name relationship. These spellings remain separate in popularity statistics.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
Nickname: Ally
Checked against cited source
Explicit English diminutive relationship; not exclusive to one longer name. Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Source: https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=Ally&oldid=87458996. License: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Adaptation: Rare Baby Names extracted explicit personal-name relationships, retaining separate spelling statistics. No source audio reused.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
Origin: Old Breton name tradition, carried into English by the Normans; deeper roots disputed.
Checked against cited source
The exact English personal-name entry documents Breton and Norman transmission while leaving the older derivation uncertain. Other same-spelled ethnic and place-name uses are not merged with it. Credit: Wiktionary contributors, exact Alan entries. Sources: https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=Alan&oldid=91690208. License: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Adaptation: Rare Baby Names summarized the documented name route or language-specific relationship. No source audio, images or quotations reused.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
English pronunciation: /ˈæl.ən/
Checked against cited source
Recorded English personal-name reading, approximately AL-un, with first-syllable stress. Credit: Wiktionary contributors, exact Alan entries. Sources: https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=Alan&oldid=91690208. License: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Adaptation: Rare Baby Names summarized the documented name route or language-specific relationship. No source audio, images or quotations reused.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
Syllables: 2 (this recorded English reading)
Checked against cited source
Two syllables in the documented English reading. Credit: Wiktionary contributors, exact Alan entries. Sources: https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=Alan&oldid=91690208. License: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Adaptation: Rare Baby Names summarized the documented name route or language-specific relationship. No source audio, images or quotations reused.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
Spelling variant: Alen
Checked against cited source
The exact English personal-name entry explicitly lists this alternative form. Popularity counts and personal pronunciation preferences stay separate. Credit: Wiktionary contributors, exact Alan entries. Sources: https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=Alan&oldid=91690208. License: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Adaptation: Rare Baby Names summarized the documented name route or language-specific relationship. No source audio, images or quotations reused.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
Spelling variant: Allan
Checked against cited source
The exact English personal-name entry explicitly lists this alternative form. Popularity counts and personal pronunciation preferences stay separate. Credit: Wiktionary contributors, exact Alan entries. Sources: https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=Alan&oldid=91690208. License: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Adaptation: Rare Baby Names summarized the documented name route or language-specific relationship. No source audio, images or quotations reused.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
Spelling variant: Allen
Checked against cited source
The exact English personal-name entry explicitly lists this alternative form. Popularity counts and personal pronunciation preferences stay separate. Credit: Wiktionary contributors, exact Alan entries. Sources: https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=Alan&oldid=91690208. License: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Adaptation: Rare Baby Names summarized the documented name route or language-specific relationship. No source audio, images or quotations reused.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
Statistics Canada, Table 17-10-0147-01, 1991–2025, released 23 September 2026.
Credit: Statistics Canada, Table 17-10-0147-01, 1991–2025, released 23 September 2026.
License: Statistics Canada Open Licence
Adaptation: Adapted from Statistics Canada, First names at birth by sex at birth, selected indicators, Table 17-10-0147-01, reference years 1991–2025. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product.
Central Statistics Office, Ireland, VSA50 and VSA60, updated 27 February 2026.
Credit: Central Statistics Office, Ireland, VSA50 and VSA60, updated 27 February 2026.
License: CC BY 4.0
Adaptation: Adapted by Rare Baby Names: joined the published count and rank indicators and matched unambiguous existing spellings. Source values retained.
Source : Insee, Fichier des prénoms, updated 16 July 2026.
Credit: Source : Insee, Fichier des prénoms, updated 16 July 2026.
License: Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab)
Adaptation: Adapted by Rare Baby Names: column names and sex codes mapped and unique case-only spellings matched to existing profiles. Published rounded counts and ranks retained.