Alan is a distinctive choice, ranked #592 in 2024. Your child is likely to be the only Alan in their class.
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UK Rank 2024
#592
US Rank #167
About the Name Alan
Alan has seen a notable decline in recent years, dropping 294 places in five years. It was most popular in 1996 at #163 — parents choosing it today are making a deliberately counter-trend decision. The name has been a consistent presence in UK records since 1996.
Alan is distinctive enough that your child will likely be the only one in both their class and their school — standing out on every register.
In the US it ranks even higher at #167, where it enjoys a particularly strong following.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name Alan
Unlikely. With around 64 UK babies named Alan per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Alan in his class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Alan has been declining in UK popularity, dropping 294 places in the last five years. Its peak was #163 in 1996. Choosing it now means he is likely to be among the last of his generation with this name.
Alan is more popular in the US (#167) than in the UK (#592). Names with strong rankings in both countries tend to have broad cross-cultural appeal, working well for international families or those with ties to both nations.
Notable people named Alan include: Alan Dershowitz — Alan Morton Dershowitz is an American lawyer and law professor known for his work in U.; Alan S. Armstrong — Alan Stuart Armstrong is an American businessman and politician serving since 2026 as the junior United States senator from Oklahoma.; Alan Cavé — Georges Alan Cavé is a Haitian-American lead singer of the compas (kompa) band Zin..
Alan appears in the US top 500 at #167 in 2024 — moderately popular in America, though less so than in the UK.
64
UK babies named Alan (2024)
< 1
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.0
In a school of 600
↓ 294 places
Rank change (last 5 years)
🏫 Who else is in the room?
In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Alan
Likely around 1 other Alan in the class
UK Popularity (1996–2024)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
US Popularity (2020–2024)
Rank · SSA official data
✨ Similar names to Alan
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story
Alan Stuart Armstrong is an American businessman and politician serving since 2026 as the junior United States senator from Oklahoma. A member of the Republican Party, he was the CEO of the oil and gas company Williams from 2011 to 2025.
Alan Mathison Turing was an English mathematician, computer scientist, logician, cryptanalyst, philosopher and theoretical biologist. He was highly influential in the development of theoretical computer science, providing a formalisation of the concepts of algorithm and computation with the Turing machine, which can be considered a model of a general-purpose computer.
Alan Alan was a British escapologist and magician. He originated tricks that have subsequently become familiar features of the repertoire of other performers and he was honoured by The Magic Circle.
Alan Barinholtz is an American attorney and actor best known for appearing as Judge Alan Rosen in the reality hoax sitcom Jury Duty. On August 14, 2024, he and his son, Ike, became the first duo and the second celebrities overall to win the $1,000,000 top prize for their charity, the ASL Program at Los Encinos School, and the fifteenth overall million dollar winners on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.