Total births
363,313
Boys' name · since 1882
Alan
Since 1882, U.S. Social Security records show 363,313 babies named Alan, peaking in 1955. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #167
- among boys today
- 363,313
- born since 1882
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 99%
- more common than other boys
Alan currently ranks #167 among boys' names in America, with 363,313 babies recorded since 1882.
Social Security Administration records show Alan recorded 363,313 times among boys since 1882, holding rank #167 nationally today, ahead of 99% of boys, peaking in the 1950s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1882 to 2025.
- #167 among boys today
- 363,313 born since 1882
- 1950s peak decade
- 99% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Alan is currently the #167 boys' name in America, more common than 99% of boys - 363,313 born since 1882, peaking in the 1950s.
- #167
- among boys today
- 363,313
- born since 1882
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 99%
- more common than other boys
Alan vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#167
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 99% of names given to boys today.
1950s
Peak decade
23% of everyone ever named Alan was born in this single decade.
1955
Single peak year
9,037 babies were named Alan in 1955 - its busiest year on record.
How Alan compares
363,313 Top 1% higher than 99% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Alan's all-time total is 990x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Alan | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 363,313 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 9,037 | 23 | 22,252 |
Alan's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Alan's full recorded timeline at 1954, 70% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 30% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1886, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1955 peak of 9,037 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Alan at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
1955
Current rank
#167
Active since
1882
Alan popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1882–2025
- Peak year (1955)
- 9,037
- Annual births at peak, across 144 years of records
Alan popularity over time - girls
1,076 total births recorded since 1921 (Alan as girls' name)
Alan by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Alan's strongest decade.
83,976 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 23% of all-time use.
Alan births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 51
1880s
51 births
- 1890s 144
1890s
144 births
- 1900s 293
1900s
293 births
- 1910s 2,020
1910s
2,020 births
- 1920s 7,013
1920s
7,013 births
- 1930s 16,374
1930s
16,374 births
- 1940s
1940s
50,302 births
- 1950s
1950s
83,976 births
- 1960s
1960s
61,392 births
- 1970s 24,813
1970s
24,813 births
- 1980s 26,825
1980s
26,825 births
- 1990s 24,094
1990s
24,094 births
- 2000s 29,647
2000s
29,647 births
- 2010s 24,199
2010s
24,199 births
- 2020s 12,170
2020s
12,170 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 83,976 births (23% of all-time use).
How Alan compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Alan's total volume
Alan vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Alan by state
Where Alan concentrates geographically, total births since 1882
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 44,072 | 12.1% |
| #2 | New York | | 39,447 | 10.9% |
| #3 | Texas | | 24,621 | 6.8% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 21,252 | 5.8% |
| #5 | Pennsylvania | | 17,900 | 4.9% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 15,260 | 4.2% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 15,103 | 4.2% |
| #8 | Massachusetts | | 12,967 | 3.6% |
California share of Alan's total US births 12.1%
Even split
44,072 of 363,313 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Alan appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Alan? ▼
363,313 babies have been named Alan since 1882. It currently ranks #167 among boys. The peak year was 1955 with 9,037 births.
When was Alan most popular? ▼
Alan was most popular in the 1950s decade with 83,976 total births. The single peak year was 1955.
Where is Alan most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Alan are California (44,072 births), New York (39,447 births), Texas (24,621 births).
How long has the name Alan been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Alan since 1882 -- 144 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Alan? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Alain, Alaric, Alastair, Alakai, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Alan's data
- Alan's decade-level peak was the 1950s (83,976 total births); usage has since declined to 12,170 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Alans (44,072 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Alan
Nearby Names Like Alan
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Alan
Alain Boy
#3234 3,980 births
Alaric Boy
#1110 3,961 births
Alastair Boy
#2376 1,364 births
Alakai Boy
#1582 910 births
Alasdair Boy
#3748 525 births
Compare Alan side by side: Alan vs Alain Alan vs Alaric Alan vs Alastair
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Alan
Beckett #166
29,156 births · Peak 2025
Beckham #168
20,329 births · Peak 2025
Ace #165
26,319 births · Peak 2022
Jayce #169
45,423 births · Peak 2015
Jesus #164
244,281 births · Peak 2004
Braxton #170
65,831 births · Peak 2014
Cole #163
154,093 births · Peak 2002
Jaxson #171
68,535 births · Peak 2015
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1882–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Alan: #167 Boys' Name - 363,313 Births, Peak 1955." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/alan. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Alan draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.