Alan (given name)
| Pronunciation | AL-an |
|---|---|
| Gender | Male |
| Origin | |
| Word/name | Scottish, Breton, English, Welsh, Irish, French |
| Meaning | Rock, Little Rock, Handsome |
| Other names | |
| Related names | Aelian, Aelius, Helios |
| Medieval form of Gallo-Roman name, conflated with unrelated native Breton name and retained for their popularization. | |
Usage: Scottish, Breton, English, Welsh, Irish, French
Pronounced: Al-an
Alternative Spellings: Allan, Allen, Alen, Allyn, Alun, Ailín, Alain, Elian
It was introduced to England by Bretons before and after the Norman Conquest of England, having been popularized in their province as the misspelled name of Allorus (feast date 27 Dec.), bishop of Quimper. Having a similar name and feast date only a month apart, Allorus was thus conflated with Saint Alan (feast date 25 Nov.) of Lavaur Cathedral in Gascony near Toulose, whose name was a Vulgar Latin spelling of Aelianus, being recorded variously Alen or Elan. Aelianus is a developed form of Aelius, itself a Roman borrowing of the Greek Helios. There is a Church of Saint Elian in Syria. The name is interpreted as meaning either "little rock" or "handsome" in Breton, and "harmony" in some Celtic languages.
In the modern world, the name Alan was particularly popular among American parents in the early to 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.
One theoretical but unrelated origin, is from the Alans and the derivative in Spanish from this, is Alano Español, a type of dog.