Alan (name)

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Gender: Masculine Usage: Scottish, Breton, English, Welsh, Irish, Kurdish Pronounced: AL-an Alternative Spellings: Allan, Allen, Alen, Allyn, Alun, Ailín The meaning of this name is not known for certain, though it possibly means either "little rock" or "handsome" in Breton (Brittany), and "harmony" in some Celtic languages. It was introduced to England by Bretons after the Norman Conquest of England. Another possible origin is "from the Tribe of Alans", which fled to Europe from the Huns. This would explain the Kurdish occurrence. There is also a (kurdish) village named Alan in Şemdinli which is a district located in the Hakkari Province of southeastern Turkey. The name Alan was particularly popular among American parents in the early- and mid-20th century, and is very widely used in Ireland and Britain. Allen is an English spelling of the name, Allan a Scottish English spelling, Ailean a Scottish Gaelic spelling and Ailín the Irish version. The Welsh spelling Alun is rarely used outside of Wales, and the name is occasionally seen spelled Alyn, Welsh pronunciation is different (pronounced Alin). The name is also used as a surname, usually spelled Allen or Ó hAilín in Irish. Related surnames include Alanson, Allanshaw, and Allenby. Forms in other languages of Alan include Alain in French and Alano in Spanish. The Czech name Alin is a homophone but its origins are unrelated.

See also

• All pages beginning with Alan
• Alan disambiguation page
• Alans nomadic group of Sarmatians (history)

Sources

Campbell, Mike. "Behind the Name: Alan." http://www.behindthename.com/php/view.php?name=alan .