Alan is a name of Scottish origin and it means "fair or handsome chief". It has been used as a personal name since the Middle Ages. The name was popularized by Sir Alan of the Bells, a famous Scottish knight who fought in the Wars of Independence against England in the late 13th century.
The name Alan is also associated with several notable figures throughout history, such as Alan of Dale, a bard who appeared in several medieval English texts, and Alan Turing, the British mathematician and computer scientist who broke the German Enigma code during World War II.
The name Alan has a rich history of popularity in the United States, with the first recorded birth being in 1882. From then on, its popularity grew steadily over time.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the number of births named Alan fluctuated annually but showed an overall upward trend. Between 1882 and 1914, the number of births with the name Alan ranged from a low of 6 in 1882 to a high of 333 in 1919.
However, it was not until the early 20th century that the name Alan began to gain significant traction. In 1912, there were 102 births named Alan, and by 1914, this number had more than doubled to 238. This marked the beginning of a period of rapid growth in popularity for the name Alan.
Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, the number of births named Alan continued to rise steadily. In 1925, there were 804 births named Alan, and by 1937, this number had reached an impressive 2241. This trend continued into the 1940s, with a record 6490 births named Alan in 1946.
However, after reaching its peak popularity in the mid-20th century, the name Alan began to decline in usage. Between 1957 and 1963, the number of births named Alan fell from 8229 to 6811, a decrease of nearly 17%.
Despite this decline, Alan remained a popular choice for parents throughout much of the latter half of the 20th century. Between 1964 and 1995, the number of births named Alan fluctuated between approximately 3500 and 4500 each year.
In recent years, however, the popularity of the name Alan has continued to decline. From a high of 3249 births in 2007, the number of births named Alan has fallen to just 1965 in 2020. This represents a significant decrease from its peak popularity in the mid-20th century.
In conclusion, while the name Alan has a long and storied history of popularity in the United States, its usage has fluctuated over time. After reaching its peak popularity in the mid-20th century, the number of births named Alan has declined steadily in recent years. Nonetheless, Alan remains a classic and enduring choice for parents seeking a timeless and strong-sounding name for their sons.