Alan - Name Meaning and Origin

The boy's name Alan \a-lan\ is pronounced AL-an. It is of Old German origin, and its meaning is "precious". From Adal. Also possibly derived from the Gaelic "ailin" meaning "little rock". Introduced into England by Breton followers of William the Conqueror, such as Alan, Earl of Brittany, who was rewarded for his services with vast estates in the newly conquered kingdom. Popular in the Middle Ages, with a boom around the 1950s influenced by the popularity of actor Alan Ladd. Alun is a Welsh form; Alain (al-LAYN) is French; Alano is Spanish. South African author Alan Paton; lyricist Alan Jay Lerner; playwright Alan Bennett; astronaut Alan Shepard; actors Alan Alda, Alan Cumming; poet Allen Ginsberg; basketball player Allen Iverson.

Alan has 25 variant forms: Ailean, Ailin, Al, Alain, Alair, Aland, Alann, Alano, Alanson, Alen, Alin, Allain, Allan, Allayne, Allen, Alley, Alleyn, Alleyne, Allie, Allin, Allon, Allyn, Alon, Alun and Alyn.

Baby names that sound like Alan are Ilan and Elan.

Alan is a very popular male first name and a popular surname (source: 1990 U.S. Census). Displayed below is the baby name popularity trend for the boy's name Alan. Click here to compare Alan with related baby names.