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Gender
Masculine
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Origin of the Name Alan
Breton
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Usage of the Name Alan
English, Breton, Scottish
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Meaning of the Name Alan
The name Alan is of uncertain derivation. There are many theories behind the etymology of the name.
The leading theory states that it is derived from a Breton word meaning "little rock". The name was brought to England by the Bretons in the 11th century during the Norman Conquest, and later spread into Ireland and Scotland. The Irish name Ailín, which also means "little rock", is probably an Irish cognate of Alan.
According to another theory, the name could be derived from the Irish word "álainn" (or Scottish Gaelic "àlainn") meaning "beautiful".
Another possible derivation is from the tribal name of the Alans (or Alani), an Iranian nomadic group who were the ancestors of the people of the present day North Ossetia region in Russia.
Yet another possibility is that the name could be derived from the name of the Alamanni, a group of several Germanic peoples in 5th-century Europe.
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Interesting Facts about Alan
- There are several towns in Russia called Alan, and a French commune called Alan, Haute-Garonne.
- There is also a moon crater named Alan in the Davy crater chain.
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Famous Bearers
Bearers of the name include Alan Turing (1912 - 1954), an English mathematician and computer scientist;
Alan Shepard (1923 - 1998), an American astronaut;
Alan Alda (born 1936), an American actor;
Alan Stivell (born 1944), a Breton musician and singer;
Alan Rickman (born 1946), an English actor;
Alan Menken (born 1949), an American composer and pianist;
Alan Moore (born 1953), an English writer.
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Names Related to Alan
List of names related to Alan.
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