Baby Name Popularity Profile

Alan

Data-driven SSA statistics, rankings, and historical trends for Alan.

✦ Handsome or noble 🌍 Celtic traditional
National Rank (2025) #191
All-Time Peak Rank #40 Achieved 1951
Total U.S. Births 363,313 since 1880
Unisex Distribution 99.8% Boy / 0.2% Girl Overwhelmingly Male
First Recorded 1882 Last seen: 2025
Peak Decade 1950s 9,037 births in 1955
πŸ’‘ The Alan Vibe: Considered a Declining Classic. A previously dominant name currently experiencing a prolonged generational cooling period.

🌍 Meaning & Etymology

Primary Meaning Handsome or noble
Language Origin Celtic
Origin Type single
Derived from Old Breton Alun or Irish AilΓ­n, possibly meaning 'handsome' or 'noble'.
Common Nicknames
Al
Alternative Spellings
Allan Alun
Pronunciation: AL-Ι™n
Themes & Categories
traditional
Etymology confidence: High

πŸ“– The Story Behind Alan

According to SSA data, Alan achieved its highest historical rank of #40 in 1951. Its highest annual registration volume occurred in 1955 with 9,037 babies. Between 2015 and 2025, modern registrations have decreased by 23.0%. Overall, the name has maintained a ranked presence for 142 consecutive years.

πŸ“Š Factual Timeline & Current Trajectory (1880 – 2025)

Registration footprint of Alan across 145 years of SSA data.

5-Year Trajectory Stable
10-Year Shift -23.0% Decline
18801920196020002025

πŸ“ˆ Popularity Milestones & Volatility

Busiest Year on Record 9,037 births in 1955
Years in Top 100 34 yrs
Years in Top 500 130 yrs
Registry Streak 142 yrs
Historical Volatility Highly Volatile
Largest 1-Year Jump N/A
Decade-by-Decade Registration Volumes
1880s: 51
1890s: 144
1900s: 293
1910s: 2,020
1920s: 7,013
1930s: 16,374
1940s: 50,302
1950s: 83,976
1960s: 61,392
1970s: 24,813
1980s: 26,825
1990s: 24,094
2000s: 29,647
2010s: 24,199
2020s: 12,170

πŸ“ Sound & Spelling Structure

Phonetic Syllables Al-an
Letter Count 4 letters
Spelling Complexity Easy
Length Percentile Longer than 1.4% of names
Linguistic Profile: Longer than 1.4% of SSA names. Starts with A, a letter used by only 10.8% of SSA names.

πŸ› οΈ Sibling & Surname Cadence Tool

Enter a surname or sibling name to test how it pairs with Alan.

πŸ“ Authentic State & Regional Rankings

Highest Ranking State Hawaii
Top States Hawaii, Vermont, Rhode Island, Maine, New Hampshire
States with Data 51
State 2025 Rank Total Births Peak Year 5-Yr Velocity
Hawaii Unranked 2,403 1956 Insufficient historical volume
Vermont Unranked 1,045 1947 Insufficient historical volume
Rhode Island #200 2,020 1949 Insufficient historical volume
Maine Unranked 2,381 1957 Insufficient historical volume
New Hampshire Unranked 1,677 1954 Insufficient historical volume
Massachusetts #193 12,967 1947 Insufficient historical volume
Connecticut #239 5,645 1950 Insufficient historical volume
New York #179 39,447 1947 4.4% Decline
Utah #225 4,020 1953 Insufficient historical volume
Nevada #160 1,579 2006 Insufficient historical volume
Iowa #310 6,249 1956 Insufficient historical volume
Idaho #166 1,862 1959 Insufficient historical volume
South Dakota Unranked 1,588 1958 Insufficient historical volume
District of Columbia Unranked 2,077 1948 Insufficient historical volume
California #129 44,072 2006 23.7% Decline
Nebraska #151 3,222 1961 Insufficient historical volume
Oregon #247 3,975 1947 Insufficient historical volume
Wisconsin #286 8,711 1955 Insufficient historical volume
Kansas #265 4,580 1956 Insufficient historical volume
Illinois #151 21,252 1951 6.0% Decline
New Jersey #144 11,900 1947 +19.6% Growth
Colorado #191 4,845 1960 +2.9% Growth
Minnesota #288 7,433 1953 Insufficient historical volume
Washington #271 6,495 1954 40.0% Decline
Michigan #307 15,103 1955 13.9% Decline
Wyoming Unranked 525 1954 Insufficient historical volume
Montana Unranked 1,178 1961 Insufficient historical volume
North Dakota Unranked 1,276 1948 Insufficient historical volume
Delaware #168 757 1961 Insufficient historical volume
Arizona #141 4,444 2003 +18.9% Growth
Indiana #207 8,028 1954 +60.0% Growth
Pennsylvania #280 17,900 1954 +2.5% Growth
Ohio #326 15,260 1956 +20.7% Growth
Texas #128 24,621 2006 9.2% Decline
New Mexico #180 1,711 1961 Insufficient historical volume
Maryland #285 4,763 1954 40.6% Decline
Florida #134 10,342 1961 +11.7% Growth
Alaska Unranked 397 1962 Insufficient historical volume
Missouri #369 6,281 1962 Insufficient historical volume
Oklahoma #200 3,794 1956 Insufficient historical volume
Georgia #204 7,473 1960 4.8% Decline
North Carolina #215 7,142 1961 6.6% Decline
Virginia #343 5,301 1961 45.5% Decline
Tennessee #205 4,608 1961 +46.7% Growth
Alabama #215 3,880 1961 Insufficient historical volume
Arkansas #444 2,212 1961 Insufficient historical volume
Kentucky #253 3,271 1962 Insufficient historical volume
West Virginia Unranked 1,732 1961 Insufficient historical volume
South Carolina #188 2,561 1964 Insufficient historical volume
Louisiana #487 3,166 1958 Insufficient historical volume
Mississippi #241 1,733 1961 Insufficient historical volume

πŸ‘¨β€πŸ‘©β€πŸ‘§ Sibling Name Suggestions

πŸ‘¦ Brother Suggestions
Peter Steven Paul Timothy Gary Eddy Cary Davy Kary Gery
πŸ‘§ Sister Suggestions
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