Find out how popular the last name Alan is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Alan.

Alan, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Alan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Alan in America

Alan is the 19114th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Alan surname appeared 1,423 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Alan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Alan to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Alan

The surname ALAN has its origins in ancient Brittany, a region located in the northwest of modern-day France. It is derived from the Breton word "alen," which means "little rock" or "pebble." This name likely originated as a descriptive nickname for someone who lived near a rocky area or had some association with stones.

The earliest known record of the name ALAN dates back to the 11th century. In the Domesday Book, a survey of land ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, there are several references to individuals with the surname ALAN or variations such as Aleyn and Alayn.

One notable bearer of the name was Alan of Brittany (c. 1084-1146), a prominent military leader who fought alongside King Henry I of England during the Norman Conquest. He later became the Earl of Richmond and played a significant role in the civil war between King Stephen and Empress Matilda.

In the 13th century, the surname ALAN was found in various parts of England, including Yorkshire, where the village of Alanby (now called Anlaby) was named after an individual with this surname. Another early example is Alan de Walkington (c. 1190-1260), a distinguished English theologian and Bishop of Galloway in Scotland.

During the 14th century, the ALAN surname appeared in Scotland, where it was sometimes spelled as Alane or Alayn. One notable Scot with this name was Sir Alan de Erskine (c. 1310-1367), a prominent military commander who fought in the Wars of Scottish Independence alongside King Robert the Bruce.

In the 15th century, the surname ALAN was also found in Ireland, where it was often rendered as Ó Lachtnáin or O'Loughnan. One notable bearer was Fearghal Óg Ó Lachtnáin (c. 1450-1512), an Irish poet and scribe from County Westmeath.

Throughout history, the ALAN surname has been associated with various professions and social classes, ranging from landed gentry to artisans and tradesmen. While its origins can be traced back to Brittany, the name has since spread across Europe and beyond, carried by individuals who have left their mark in various fields.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Alan

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Alan.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Alan was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Alan has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Alan was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Alan, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!