Alan

Last seen for girls in 2018 at #15,682 · #191 for boys in 2025, 1,915 births
Given to boys 99.7% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · boys
1951 · 8,408 births
Debut · boys
6 births
In top 100 · boys
34 yrs
of 146 years
Total births · boys
363,313
since 1882

Alan over time

boys

Rank among boys' names. Click any year to open it.

#1#10#100#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201959peak #40, 1951boys
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025—#1911,915
2024—#1672,188
2023—#1672,164
2022—#1892,006
2021—#1971,931
2020—#1941,966
2019—#1822,142
2018#15,6825#1742,250
2017#15,9025#1592,442
2016#16,2155#1552,630
2015#8,44713#1672,487
2014#10,9559#1702,500
2013#11,0009#1532,607
2012#9,10912#1702,285
2011#11,1819#1642,343
2010—#1562,513
2009#13,7047#1422,847
2008—#1353,027
2007#12,6768#1303,249
2006#15,1526#1223,475
2005#8,33013#1283,205
2004#6,76817#1323,062
2003#6,57617#1313,098
2002#12,1877#1502,625
2001#12,0567#1482,644
2000#8,02712#1612,415
1999#10,3458#1642,249
1998#14,1225#1612,138
1997#10,8367#1582,177
1996#8,8129#1432,447
1995#8,7669#1532,293
1994#8,8049#1442,435
1993#7,49811#1322,564
1992#6,00815#1292,606
1991#5,65916#1282,545
1990#5,83515#1262,640
1989#5,54515#1202,733
1988#5,06516#1102,754
1987#3,52425#1122,586
1986#3,89021#1072,648
1985#4,12619#1092,684
1984#3,99019#1052,702
1983#5,14813#1022,771
1982#4,71615#1072,687
1981#6,8049#1122,589
1980#3,85320#1122,671
1979#5,75111#1162,322
1978#4,93113#1222,122
1977#4,65214#1262,134
1976#3,54019#1152,186
1975#4,14115#1152,248
1974#4,72012#1182,231
1973#4,15514#1152,269
1972#5,4809#1102,580
1971#3,94315#993,168
1970#2,93823#913,553
1969#3,31817#763,852
1968#2,87420#743,976
1967#3,48414#614,572
1966#4,19810#574,943
1965#3,05017#595,612
1964#2,53024#536,810
1963#2,61922#566,935
1962#2,26428#537,719
1961#2,60822#518,617
1960#2,64921#508,356
1959#2,76018#508,151
1958#3,23214#498,226
1957#2,72718#488,208
1956#3,49312#448,734
1955#2,97115#439,037
1954#3,01914#438,711
1953#3,48011#438,454
1952#3,20112#428,310
1951#2,69415#408,408
1950#2,90913#417,737
1949#2,72614#457,255
1948#3,35010#467,394
1947#2,27919#457,823
1946#3,9947#496,490
1945#3,1329#525,073
1944#3,3788#554,277
1943#4,6915#673,855
1942#3,7387#813,134
1941#4,4205#842,624
1940#3,8636#882,377
1939#3,7826#852,330
1938—#912,241
1937—#1031,846
1936—#1081,755
1935—#1221,425
1934—#1241,369
1933#3,4067#1221,345
1932#3,2748#1271,339
1931#4,3315#1201,423
1930#3,0559#1361,301
1929#3,3948#1461,101
1928#3,7437#157964
1927#3,8757#178808
1926#4,8515#174836
1925—#179804
1924—#217625
1923—#221588
1922—#256479
1921#5,0995#289375
1920—#263433
1919—#299330
1918—#302333
1917—#299310
1916—#338251
1915—#346238
1914—#344184
1913—#321158
1912—#381102
1911—#37955
1910—#32159
1909—#34845
1908—#42931
1907—#35938
1906—#41128
1905—#46323
1904—#37929
1903—#39325
1902—#38027
1901—#42220
1900—#43027
1899—#48116
1898—#57314
1897—#43819
1896—#59213
1895—#42621
1894—#63111
1893—#57212
1892—#48017
1891—#6359
1890—#56612
1889—#62810
1888—#9176
1887—#9215
1886—#9595
1885—#60410
1884—#6639
1883——
1882—#8376
1881——
1880——
First appearance
1882

The first year at least five boys were named Alan! It came in at #837, and was given to 6 baby boys.


Quietest stretch: 1883, when fewer than 5 boys a year got the name.

Where Alan is popular in 1959

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: #51 for boys · 15 births · 1 in 194 boysAKMaine: #41 for boys · 63 births · 1 in 169 boysMEVermont: #40 for boys · 25 births · 1 in 163 boysVTNew Hampshire: #38 for boys · 41 births · 1 in 148 boysNHWashington: #50 for boys · 141 births · 1 in 223 boysWAIdaho: #34 for boys · 61 births · 1 in 124 boysIDMontana: #50 for boys · 38 births · 1 in 205 boysMTNorth Dakota: #50 for boys · 43 births · 1 in 176 boysNDMinnesota: #50 for boys · 187 births · 1 in 226 boysMNIllinois: #46 for boys · 518 births · 1 in 225 boysILWisconsin: #49 for boys · 241 births · 1 in 197 boysWIMichigan: #49 for boys · 431 births · 1 in 224 boysMINew York: #42 for boys · 862 births · 1 in 210 boysNYMassachusetts: #35 for boys · 306 births · 1 in 184 boysMARhode Island: #36 for boys · 54 births · 1 in 165 boysRIOregon: #53 for boys · 76 births · 1 in 226 boysORNevada: #38 for boys · 21 births · 1 in 130 boysNVWyoming: #60 for boys · 15 births · 1 in 222 boysWYSouth Dakota: #46 for boys · 45 births · 1 in 180 boysSDIowa: #43 for boys · 190 births · 1 in 163 boysIAIndiana: #53 for boys · 209 births · 1 in 262 boysINOhio: #59 for boys · 395 births · 1 in 287 boysOHPennsylvania: #49 for boys · 459 births · 1 in 265 boysPANew Jersey: #49 for boys · 247 births · 1 in 248 boysNJConnecticut: #38 for boys · 144 births · 1 in 185 boysCTCalifornia: #56 for boys · 670 births · 1 in 268 boysCAUtah: #31 for boys · 90 births · 1 in 132 boysUTColorado: #54 for boys · 93 births · 1 in 229 boysCONebraska: #41 for boys · 102 births · 1 in 158 boysNEMissouri: #59 for boys · 176 births · 1 in 280 boysMOKentucky: #77 for boys · 98 births · 1 in 369 boysKYWest Virginia: #78 for boys · 54 births · 1 in 372 boysWVVirginia: #85 for boys · 110 births · 1 in 393 boysVAMaryland: #54 for boys · 112 births · 1 in 293 boysMDDelaware: #42 for boys · 22 births · 1 in 236 boysDEArizona: #84 for boys · 48 births · 1 in 337 boysAZNew Mexico: #103 for boys · 30 births · 1 in 444 boysNMKansas: #40 for boys · 141 births · 1 in 169 boysKSArkansas: #77 for boys · 54 births · 1 in 363 boysARTennessee: #87 for boys · 94 births · 1 in 424 boysTNNorth Carolina: #60 for boys · 186 births · 1 in 283 boysNCSouth Carolina: #103 for boys · 66 births · 1 in 433 boysSCDistrict of Columbia: #48 for boys · 65 births · 1 in 229 boysDCOklahoma: #66 for boys · 90 births · 1 in 267 boysOKLouisiana: #127 for boys · 72 births · 1 in 592 boysLAMississippi: #124 for boys · 48 births · 1 in 577 boysMSAlabama: #80 for boys · 104 births · 1 in 370 boysALGeorgia: #66 for boys · 171 births · 1 in 280 boysGAHawaii: #23 for boys · 64 births · 1 in 112 boysHITexas: #79 for boys · 344 births · 1 in 358 boysTXFlorida: #56 for boys · 220 births · 1 in 244 boysFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. Hawaii#23 · 1 in 112
  2. Utah#31 · 1 in 132
  3. Idaho#34 · 1 in 124
  4. Massachusetts#35 · 1 in 184
  5. Rhode Island#36 · 1 in 165

Best ever in a state: #14 in Hawaii, 1946.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Hawaii#23641 in 112
Utah#31901 in 132
Idaho#34611 in 124
Massachusetts#353061 in 184
Rhode Island#36541 in 165
Connecticut#381441 in 185
Nevada#38211 in 130
New Hampshire#38411 in 148
Kansas#401411 in 169
Vermont#40251 in 163
Maine#41631 in 169
Nebraska#411021 in 158
Delaware#42221 in 236
New York#428621 in 210
Iowa#431901 in 163
Illinois#465181 in 225
South Dakota#46451 in 180
District of Columbia#48651 in 229
Michigan#494311 in 224
New Jersey#492471 in 248
Pennsylvania#494591 in 265
Wisconsin#492411 in 197
Minnesota#501871 in 226
Montana#50381 in 205
North Dakota#50431 in 176
Washington#501411 in 223
Alaska#51151 in 194
Indiana#532091 in 262
Oregon#53761 in 226
Colorado#54931 in 229
Maryland#541121 in 293
California#566701 in 268
Florida#562201 in 244
Missouri#591761 in 280
Ohio#593951 in 287
North Carolina#601861 in 283
Wyoming#60151 in 222
Georgia#661711 in 280
Oklahoma#66901 in 267
Arkansas#77541 in 363
Kentucky#77981 in 369
West Virginia#78541 in 372
Texas#793441 in 358
Alabama#801041 in 370
Arizona#84481 in 337
Virginia#851101 in 393
Tennessee#87941 in 424
New Mexico#103301 in 444
South Carolina#103661 in 433
Mississippi#124481 in 577
Louisiana#127721 in 592

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the boys born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Alan
Momentum · boys
Holding steady
  • 24 spots since 2024 (#167 → #191)
  • 3 spots since 2020 (#194 → #191)
  • 24 spots since 2015 (#167 → #191)
  • Biggest jump: 289 spots in 1889 (#917 → #628)
  • Biggest drop: 355 spots in 1886 (#604 → #959)
Rise & fade · boys
69 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1882
  • Peaked 1951 at #40 (8,408 births)
  • Births halved by 1968, 17 yrs later
Top of the charts · boys
Top 100 for 34 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: 34 yrs · run 1938–1971
  • Top 1,000: 143 yrs · run 1884–2025
Share of babies · boys
1 in 224
  • Highest: 1 in 224 boys born in 1951 were named Alan (0.45%)
  • Latest: 1 in 892 boys born in 2025 (0.11%)
Era · boys
The 1950s
  • 23.1% of all boys named Alan (83,976) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s51#604 (1885)#790
1890s144#426 (1895)#539
1900s293#348 (1909)#401
1910s2,020#299 (1919)#333
1920s7,013#146 (1929)#208
1930s16,374#85 (1939)#114
1940s50,302#45 (1947)#61
1950s83,976#40 (1951)#44
1960s61,392#50 (1960)#59
1970s24,813#91 (1970)#113
1980s26,825#102 (1983)#110
1990s24,094#126 (1990)#144
2000s29,647#122 (2006)#138
2010s24,199#153 (2013)#165
2020s12,170#167 (2024)#184

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Alan in 1959

girls
#2,760
18 births · 1 in 112,415 girls
boys
#50
8,151 births · 1 in 262 boys

Top girls' names in 1959

  1. #1Mary54,502
  2. #2Susan41,617
  3. #3Linda40,410
  4. #4Karen36,784
  5. #5Donna36,468
  6. #6Patricia35,223
  7. #7Debra31,388
  8. #8Cynthia30,186
  9. #9Deborah29,546
  10. #10Lisa25,699
  11. #2,760Alan18

Top boys' names in 1959

  1. #1Michael85,294
  2. #2David83,977
  3. #3James78,648
  4. #4John76,446
  5. #5Robert74,542
  6. #6Mark56,945
  7. #7William51,386
  8. #8Richard47,202
  9. #9Thomas40,296
  10. #10Steven33,597
  11. #50Alan8,151
More about 1959

girls

2,023,462 girls got a published name in 1959; 1 in 112,415 of them was named Alan, which outranked 61.7% of the 7,202 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 17.9% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Alan
  1. #2,678Trinda19
  2. #2,678Twanna19
  3. #2,678Velvet19
  4. #2,760Alan18
  5. #2,760Alejandra18
  6. #2,760Alix18
  7. #2,760Alysia18
  8. #2,869Alexia17
  9. #2,869Allen17
  10. #2,869Allyn17

Tied with 108 names at #2,760; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1958
Risers
  1. ↑ 1,090Alesia#1,985 → #895
  2. ↑ 948Tori#1,791 → #843
  3. ↑ 440Taryn#1,211 → #771
  4. ↑ 437Venus#1,007 → #570
  5. ↑ 393Vilma#1,364 → #971
Fallers
  1. ↓ 283Dani#961 → #1,244
  2. ↓ 257Nicki#973 → #1,230
  3. ↓ 235Lanita#973 → #1,208
  4. ↓ 219Concetta#973 → #1,192
  5. ↓ 197Gisele#766 → #963

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

boys

2,134,518 boys got a published name in 1959; 1 in 262 of them was named Alan, which outranked 98.9% of the 4,572 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 29.4% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Alan
  1. #47Roger8,794
  2. #48Danny8,727
  3. #49Dale8,343
  4. #50Alan8,151
  5. #51Wayne7,878
  6. #52Jeff7,730
  7. #53Tony7,564
Biggest movers since 1958
Risers
  1. ↑ 2,208Efrem#3,033 → #825
  2. ↑ 901Darin#1,677 → #776
  3. ↑ 871Yancy#1,557 → #686
  4. ↑ 708Raynard#1,677 → #969
  5. ↑ 644Darrin#1,396 → #752
Fallers
  1. ↓ 307Jace#761 → #1,068
  2. ↓ 241Otha#915 → #1,156
  3. ↓ 234Cheryl#994 → #1,228
  4. ↓ 230Dann#969 → #1,199
  5. ↓ 227Carnell#777 → #1,004

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1959 →