UK boy's name
Alan
Celtic masculine name derived from a Breton word meaning "handsome".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Alan is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Alan popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #592, with 64 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2015, with 346 births.
This profile covers 5,398 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 18% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 16,505 living people in the UK are called Alan. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Alan ranked #592 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 64 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2015, when 346 boys were registered as Alan.
- • Alan ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #348 in 2023.
- • About 16,505 living people in the UK are estimated to have Alan as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#592
2024
Births in 2024
64
Latest year
Peak year
2015
346 births
Estimated living
16,505
2026
Meaning
What does Alan mean?
The name Alan has its origins in the ancient Celtic language, deriving from the Brittonic word "alan," which means "little rock" or "handsome." It is believed to have emerged in the region now known as Great Britain and France during the Middle Ages.
Alan is a variation of the Old Breton name "Alan," which was widely used in Brittany, a cultural region in the northwest of France. This name gained popularity across Europe during the Middle Ages, particularly after the legendary figure of Alan the Great, a 6th-century Breton prince and warrior who fought against the invading Saxons.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Alan can be found in the 9th-century Latin work "Vita Sancti Samsonis," which recounts the life of the Welsh saint Samson. In this text, the name appears as "Alanus," referring to a prominent figure in Brittany.
Throughout history, the name Alan has been borne by numerous notable individuals. One of the most famous was Alan Rufus (c. 1040-1093), a Norman nobleman who served as the first Lord of Richmond and played a significant role in the Norman conquest of England.
Another prominent figure was Alan of Lille (c. 1116-1202), a French theologian, poet, and philosopher who made significant contributions to the development of medieval scholasticism.
In the realm of literature, the name Alan is associated with the Scottish writer Alan Alexander Milne (1882-1956), best known for creating the beloved characters Winnie-the-Pooh and Christopher Robin.
The world of science and technology has also been graced by individuals named Alan, such as Alan Turing (1912-1954), the English mathematician and computer scientist who made groundbreaking contributions to the fields of artificial intelligence and theoretical computer science.
In the world of cinema, the name Alan is closely tied to the renowned actor Alan Rickman (1946-2016), who captivated audiences with his performances in films such as "Die Hard," "Sense and Sensibility," and the "Harry Potter" series.
These are just a few examples of the many notable individuals who have borne the name Alan throughout history, showcasing its enduring presence and significance across various fields and cultures.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Alan over time
The chart below shows babies named Alan registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Alan, the clearest high point is 2015. The latest England and Wales figure is 64 births in 2024, compared with 346 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Alan by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Alan was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #436 | 515 | 5 |
| 2010s | #209 | 2,701 | 10 |
| 2000s | #248 | 1,492 | 10 |
| 1990s | #193 | 690 | 4 |
Geography
Where Alan is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Alan. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Alan ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #348 in 2023.
Across the UK
Alan in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#352 in 2024
51 years of NRS records, 11,171 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#348 in 2023
27 years of NISRA records, 332 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Alan
-
Alan Brooke, 3rd Viscount Alanbrooke
teacher; politician; military officer
British peer (1932–2018)
1932-2018
Related
Names similar to Alan
- Alfie 86,546
- Alexander 85,525
- Adam 71,855
- Archie 59,965
- Arthur 43,586
- Aaron 36,366
- Alex 32,729
- Andrew 20,169
- Arlo 19,061
- Aidan 16,776
- Albie 16,017
- Albert 15,809
FAQ
Alan: questions and answers
How popular is the name Alan in the UK right now?
In 2024, Alan was ranked #592 for boys in England and Wales, with 64 births registered.
When was Alan most popular?
The peak year on record was 2015, with 346 babies registered as Alan in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Alan?
Celtic masculine name derived from a Breton word meaning "handsome".
How many people are called Alan in the UK?
A total of 5,398 babies have been registered as Alan across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 11,171 more in Scotland and 332 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Alan most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Alan ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #348 in 2023. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.