Alan
Alan was given to 1,915 boys in 2025, #191 among boys’ names; 364,389 Americans have been recorded with it since 1882 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026).
An estimated 267,000 Americans named Alan and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (73% of everyone recorded); the median is 55 years old and half are between 27 and 69.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of Alan by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
What does Alan mean?
Wiktionary, English section
Alan is “a male given name from the Celtic languages.”
Also “a male given name from Hebrew, variant of Elon.”
From Old Breton Alan, name of early Breton saints, of disputed origin and meaning; brought to England by Normans. It may have been the name of a Celtic deity, the brother of Bran, Welsh Alawn, Alun. As an early Irish name, perhaps connected with ail (“noble”). Compare French Alain.
/ˈæl.ən/
Meaning: Wiktionary, English section, as of Sep 25, 2026 (CC BY‑SA 4.0).
How popular is Alan?
#191 among boys’ names, 2025
Alan fell from #167 in 2015 to #191 in 2025 among boys’ names; its share of boys born fell from 1.3 to 1.1 per 1,000.
9,052 babies in 1955, the peak
Alan peaked in 1955, when 9,052 babies were given it (9,037 boys, #43 among boys’ names). The 1,915 births of 2025 are 21% of that peak.
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,915 | #191 | 1.1 |
| 2024 | 2,188 | #167 | 1.3 |
| 2023 | 2,164 | #167 | 1.3 |
| 2022 | 2,006 | #189 | 1.1 |
| 2021 | 1,931 | #197 | 1.1 |
| 2020 | 1,966 | #194 | 1.1 |
| 2019 | 2,142 | #182 | 1.2 |
| 2018 | 2,250 | #174 | 1.2 |
| 2017 | 2,442 | #159 | 1.3 |
| 2016 | 2,630 | #155 | 1.4 |
Every recorded year (143)
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 2,487 | #167 | 1.3 |
| 2014 | 2,500 | #170 | 1.3 |
| 2013 | 2,607 | #153 | 1.4 |
| 2012 | 2,285 | #170 | 1.2 |
| 2011 | 2,343 | #164 | 1.2 |
| 2010 | 2,513 | #156 | 1.3 |
| 2009 | 2,847 | #142 | 1.4 |
| 2008 | 3,027 | #135 | 1.5 |
| 2007 | 3,249 | #130 | 1.6 |
| 2006 | 3,475 | #122 | 1.7 |
| 2005 | 3,205 | #128 | 1.6 |
| 2004 | 3,062 | #132 | 1.5 |
| 2003 | 3,098 | #131 | 1.6 |
| 2002 | 2,625 | #150 | 1.4 |
| 2001 | 2,644 | #148 | 1.4 |
| 2000 | 2,415 | #161 | 1.2 |
| 1999 | 2,249 | #164 | 1.2 |
| 1998 | 2,138 | #161 | 1.1 |
| 1997 | 2,177 | #158 | 1.2 |
| 1996 | 2,447 | #143 | 1.3 |
| 1995 | 2,293 | #153 | 1.2 |
| 1994 | 2,435 | #144 | 1.3 |
| 1993 | 2,564 | #132 | 1.3 |
| 1992 | 2,606 | #129 | 1.3 |
| 1991 | 2,545 | #128 | 1.3 |
| 1990 | 2,640 | #126 | 1.3 |
| 1989 | 2,733 | #120 | 1.4 |
| 1988 | 2,754 | #110 | 1.4 |
| 1987 | 2,586 | #112 | 1.4 |
| 1986 | 2,648 | #107 | 1.4 |
| 1985 | 2,684 | #109 | 1.5 |
| 1984 | 2,702 | #105 | 1.5 |
| 1983 | 2,771 | #102 | 1.5 |
| 1982 | 2,687 | #107 | 1.5 |
| 1981 | 2,589 | #112 | 1.4 |
| 1980 | 2,671 | #112 | 1.5 |
| 1979 | 2,322 | #116 | 1.3 |
| 1978 | 2,122 | #122 | 1.3 |
| 1977 | 2,134 | #126 | 1.3 |
| 1976 | 2,186 | #115 | 1.4 |
| 1975 | 2,248 | #115 | 1.4 |
| 1974 | 2,231 | #118 | 1.4 |
| 1973 | 2,269 | #115 | 1.5 |
| 1972 | 2,580 | #110 | 1.6 |
| 1971 | 3,168 | #99 | 1.8 |
| 1970 | 3,553 | #91 | 1.9 |
| 1969 | 3,852 | #76 | 2.2 |
| 1968 | 3,976 | #74 | 2.3 |
| 1967 | 4,572 | #61 | 2.6 |
| 1966 | 4,943 | #57 | 2.8 |
| 1965 | 5,612 | #59 | 3.0 |
| 1964 | 6,810 | #53 | 3.4 |
| 1963 | 6,935 | #56 | 3.4 |
| 1962 | 7,719 | #53 | 3.7 |
| 1961 | 8,617 | #51 | 4.1 |
| 1960 | 8,356 | #50 | 3.9 |
| 1959 | 8,151 | #50 | 3.8 |
| 1958 | 8,226 | #49 | 3.9 |
| 1957 | 8,208 | #48 | 3.8 |
| 1956 | 8,734 | #44 | 4.1 |
| 1955 | 9,037 | #43 | 4.4 |
| 1954 | 8,711 | #43 | 4.3 |
| 1953 | 8,454 | #43 | 4.3 |
| 1952 | 8,310 | #42 | 4.3 |
| 1951 | 8,408 | #40 | 4.5 |
| 1950 | 7,737 | #41 | 4.3 |
| 1949 | 7,255 | #45 | 4.1 |
| 1948 | 7,394 | #46 | 4.2 |
| 1947 | 7,823 | #45 | 4.3 |
| 1946 | 6,490 | #49 | 4.0 |
| 1945 | 5,073 | #52 | 3.8 |
| 1944 | 4,277 | #55 | 3.1 |
| 1943 | 3,855 | #67 | 2.7 |
| 1942 | 3,134 | #81 | 2.3 |
| 1941 | 2,624 | #84 | 2.1 |
| 1940 | 2,377 | #88 | 2.1 |
| 1939 | 2,330 | #85 | 2.1 |
| 1938 | 2,241 | #91 | 2.0 |
| 1937 | 1,846 | #103 | 1.7 |
| 1936 | 1,755 | #108 | 1.7 |
| 1935 | 1,425 | #122 | 1.4 |
| 1934 | 1,369 | #124 | 1.3 |
| 1933 | 1,345 | #122 | 1.4 |
| 1932 | 1,339 | #127 | 1.3 |
| 1931 | 1,423 | #120 | 1.4 |
| 1930 | 1,301 | #136 | 1.2 |
| 1929 | 1,101 | #146 | 1.0 |
| 1928 | 964 | #157 | 0.87 |
| 1927 | 808 | #178 | 0.72 |
| 1926 | 836 | #174 | 0.75 |
| 1925 | 804 | #179 | 0.72 |
| 1924 | 625 | #217 | 0.55 |
| 1923 | 588 | #221 | 0.54 |
| 1922 | 479 | #256 | 0.44 |
| 1921 | 375 | #289 | 0.34 |
| 1920 | 433 | #263 | 0.41 |
| 1919 | 330 | #299 | 0.34 |
| 1918 | 333 | #302 | 0.33 |
| 1917 | 310 | #299 | 0.33 |
| 1916 | 251 | #338 | 0.28 |
| 1915 | 238 | #346 | 0.28 |
| 1914 | 184 | #344 | 0.28 |
| 1913 | 158 | #321 | 0.31 |
| 1912 | 102 | #381 | 0.24 |
| 1911 | 55 | #380 | 0.24 |
| 1910 | 59 | #321 | 0.30 |
| 1909 | 45 | #348 | 0.27 |
| 1908 | 31 | #429 | 0.20 |
| 1907 | 38 | #359 | 0.26 |
| 1906 | 28 | #411 | 0.21 |
| 1905 | 23 | #463 | 0.17 |
| 1904 | 29 | #379 | 0.23 |
| 1903 | 25 | #393 | 0.21 |
| 1902 | 27 | #380 | 0.22 |
| 1901 | 20 | #422 | 0.19 |
| 1900 | 27 | #431 | 0.18 |
| 1899 | 16 | #481 | 0.15 |
| 1898 | 14 | #572 | 0.11 |
| 1897 | 19 | #439 | 0.17 |
| 1896 | 13 | #593 | 0.11 |
| 1895 | 21 | #426 | 0.18 |
| 1894 | 11 | #631 | 0.10 |
| 1893 | 12 | #572 | 0.11 |
| 1892 | 17 | #481 | 0.14 |
| 1891 | 9 | #636 | 0.09 |
| 1890 | 12 | #566 | 0.11 |
| 1889 | 10 | #629 | 0.09 |
| 1888 | 6 | #918 | 0.05 |
| 1887 | 5 | #926 | 0.05 |
| 1886 | 5 | #961 | 0.05 |
| 1885 | 10 | #604 | 0.09 |
| 1884 | 9 | #664 | 0.08 |
| 1882 | 6 | #837 | 0.05 |
Ranks and shares: boys’ names in each year’s SSA file; share of all boys SSA recorded that year.
Is Alan a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Alan has been given almost only to boys: 1,076 girls in 143 years of records.
Girls and boys named Alan: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named Alan, and how old are they?
267,000 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 73% of the 364,389 Americans ever recorded as Alan. The median Alan alive today is 55 years old; half are between 27 and 69.
The 2020 Census counted 284,872 people named Alan (490 women and girls, 284,382 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 277,938 born in the U.S. The Census count is 2% above that prediction.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 10,400 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 100,000 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 44,200 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 39,800 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 42,800 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 29,100 |
An estimate, not a count. SSA’s files count people born in the United States who received a Social Security number, so anyone born abroad is not in them; before 1937 most people got a number as adults, and their survival is counted from that age.
Living estimate: SSA births carried forward with the survival rates in SSA’s cohort life tables (2024 Trustees Report) for each birth year and sex. How the estimate is made. Count: Census Bureau, first names in the 2020 Census (released April 14, 2026; names reported 100 or more times, with the Bureau’s disclosure-avoidance adjustment).
Where are babies named Alan born?
The states with the most babies named Alan are California, New York and Texas, with 30% of its births recorded by state since 1910.
| State | Since 1910 | Rank, boys | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 44,121 | #129 | 1.3× |
| New York | 39,452 | #179 | 1.4× |
| Texas | 24,621 | #128 | 0.9× |
| Illinois | 21,252 | #151 | 1.1× |
| Pennsylvania | 17,900 | #280 | 0.9× |
| Ohio | 15,260 | #326 | 0.8× |
| Michigan | 15,103 | #307 | 1.0× |
| Massachusetts | 12,967 | #193 | 1.3× |
| New Jersey | 11,900 | #144 | 1.1× |
| Florida | 10,342 | #134 | 0.9× |
Where Alan is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, Alan is most over-represented in Hawaii: since 1910 it was given 1.6 times as often there as its national share each year would predict.
States: SSA state file, 1910-2025, published May 8, 2026; births count girls and boys together, and the rank is among boys’ names in the state in 2025. The file leaves out any state and year with fewer than 5 babies of the name, so small states are undercounted; each ratio compares the state’s births of Alan with the births its national share predicts year by year, for states with at least 100 births of the name.
Names spelled alike
Of these 8 names spelled alike, given to 748,165 babies since 1880, Alan is the most given (49% of them). In 2025 it was given to 1,915 of their 2,822 babies (68%), again the most given.
Spelled alike: names in the SSA national file with the same pattern of letters and sounds and at most two letters apart, and Wiktionary’s listed forms; births since 1880 and in 2025, and each name’s peak year, from the SSA national file, published May 8, 2026. Some are separate names, not spellings of one.
Names that rose and fell in the same decades as Alan
Names whose births rose and fell across the same decades, measured on each decade’s share of births.
Similar histories: each decade’s share of births, from the SSA national file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
More about Alan and names like it
- Compare Alan and AllenBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 1950sAlan peaked in 1955.
- California’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named Alan since 1910.
- The top names of 1955The year the most babies were named Alan.
- The names of the Baby BoomersMost people named Alan alive today were born 1946-1964.
- Names starting with AMost given first.