Alan
Boy name · #191 in 2025 · Distinctive
How old is the name Alan? In official American birth records, Alan has been tracked continuously since 1882, giving it 143 years of documented American history.
Alan is currently the #191 boy name in the United States — 1,915 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #167, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 940 boys born in 2025 was named Alan.
Babies named Alan per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 143-year story
Alan first appears in the Social Security records in 1882, when 6 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1955, when 9,037 boys were named Alan — good for #43 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Alan against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Alan in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Alan is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "distinctive". That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Alan is most common
Geography matters for names, and Alan is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Alan is most common in NE (2 per 1,000), AZ (1.9 per 1,000), ID (1.9 per 1,000), CA (1.8 per 1,000), TX (1.7 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 1.3 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Alan is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Alan
Statistically, parents drawn to Alan tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Dean, Kevin, Allen, Peter, and Martin.
DeanKevinAllenPeterMartinStevenAndrePaul
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Alan | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,915 | #191 |
| 2024 | 2,188 | #167 |
| 2023 | 2,164 | #167 |
| 2022 | 2,006 | #189 |
| 2021 | 1,931 | #197 |
| 2020 | 1,966 | #194 |
| 2019 | 2,142 | #182 |
| 2018 | 2,250 | #174 |
| 2017 | 2,442 | #159 |
| 2016 | 2,630 | #155 |
| 2015 | 2,487 | #167 |
| 2014 | 2,500 | #170 |
| 2013 | 2,607 | #153 |
| 2012 | 2,285 | #170 |
| 2011 | 2,343 | #164 |
| 2010 | 2,513 | #156 |
| 2009 | 2,847 | #142 |
| 2008 | 3,027 | #135 |
| 2007 | 3,249 | #130 |
| 2006 | 3,475 | #122 |
| 2005 | 3,205 | #128 |
| 2004 | 3,062 | #132 |
| 2003 | 3,098 | #131 |
| 2002 | 2,625 | #150 |
| 2001 | 2,644 | #148 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Alan?
In official American birth records, the name Alan first appeared in 1882 (over 143 years ago), when 6 newborn boys received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Alan a popular boy name?
Alan ranked #191 among boys in 2025 with 1,915 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #167.
When was the name Alan most popular?
Alan peaked in 1955, when 9,037 American boys received the name (ranked #43 that year). Since 1955 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Alan?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 940 newborn American boys was named Alan. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "distinctive".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.