alan

Pronunciation
AY-lən

Gender
male

Origin

Breton

Ranking

  168 (as of 2023)

Meaning: Little rock; Handsome

The meaning and origin of Alan is unknown, but some experts believe it means "little rock" or "handsome" in Breton. It can also be a nod to the Alans, a tribe of Iranian people who migrated to Europe in the 4th and 5th centuries. It was a top 100 baby boy's name in the United States between 1938 and 1971. It hasn't been inside the top 100 since, but it has yet to fall outside of the top 200. Some parents prefer to spell it Allan.

Famous People Named Alan

  Alan Turing

  Pioneer of computer science and artificial intelligence

  Alan Shepard

  First American astronaut to travel into space

  Alan Rickman

  Famous actor known for roles in Harry Potter and Die Hard

  Alan Alda

  Actor and advocate for science communication

  Alan Bean

  Astronaut and the fourth person to walk on the Moon

  Alan Kay

  Computer scientist known for his work on object-oriented programming

  Alan Page

  Former NFL player and Minnesota Supreme Court Justice

  Alan Menken

  Composer known for his work on Disney films

  Alan Bennett

  British playwright and author

  Alan Lomax

  Musicologist who preserved folk music traditions

Famous Media with people Named Alan

    Alan Tracy

    Character from the TV series Thunderbirds  

    Alan-a-Dale

    A character in Robin Hood folklore known as a minstrel  

    Alan the Alien

    A character in the comic book series Invincible  

    Alan Grant

    A character from the Jurassic Park series  

    Alan Frog

    One of the vampire-hunting Frog brothers in The Lost Boys  

    Alan Wake

    Protagonist of the video game series Alan Wake  

    Alan Harper

    Character from the TV show Two and a Half Men  

    Alan Bradley

    Character from the Tron movie series  

    Alan Parrish

    Character from the movie Jumanji  

    Alan the Knight

    A character from the children's book series The Knight and the Dragon