2000
#18,551
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,372
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.51
Rare Last name
Alan
A Celtic surname meaning "harmony," "stone," or "noble," or a Turkish surname meaning "red" or "scarlet."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,765 Americans carry the last name Alan. That puts it at #17,902 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.51 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 194,195 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Alan surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Alan with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.8K
1 in 194,195
Census rank
#17,902
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,539 bearers of the surname Alan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.51 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 17902nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Alan, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.1%) and Black (10.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Alan
Among Census respondents with the surname Alan, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.1%) and Black (10.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Alan bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Alan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White67.2% · 1,034
- Hispanic or Latino11.1% · 171
- Black or African American10.9% · 168
- Asian and Pacific Islander7.7% · 118
- Two or more races2.5% · 38
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Alan
Alan appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#19,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,423
+51 bearers (+3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.48
Rank movement Down 563 places
2020
#17,902
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,539
+116 bearers (+8.2%)
Per 100,000 0.51
Rank movement Up 1,212 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #18,551 | 1,372 | 0.51 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #19,114 | 1,423 | 0.48 | +51 bearers (+3.7%) | Down 563 places |
| 2020 | #17,902 | 1,539 | 0.51 | +116 bearers (+8.2%) | Up 1,212 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Alan surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #19,114 | #17,902 | 6.3% |
| Count | 1,423 | 1,539 | 8.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.48 | 0.51 | 7.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Alan bearers went from 1,423 to 1,539 (+8.2% change). The surname moved up 1,212 positions in the national ranking, going from #19,114 to #17,902.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Alan
FAQ
Alan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Alan?
Name Census estimates that about 1,765 living Americans carry the surname Alan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 194,195 residents.
How common is Alan?
Alan ranks #17,902 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.51 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,539 people with the surname Alan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,765), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.51 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.51 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Alan.
Has Alan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Alan went from 1,423 recorded bearers to 1,539. That is an increase of 116 (+8.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #19,114 to #17,902.
What does the Census say about the background of Alan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Alan, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.1%) and Black (10.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Alan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 67.2% (1,034 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Alan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (67.2%), Hispanic (11.1%), Black (10.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Alan (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Alan mean?
A Celtic surname meaning "harmony," "stone," or "noble," or a Turkish surname meaning "red" or "scarlet." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Alan (0.51 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Alan?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.