Alan is a masculine

given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a f ...

in the English and Breton languages. Its surname form is Aland. There is consensus that in modern English and French, the name is derived from the

nomadic Nomads are communities without fixed habitation who regularly move to and from areas. Such groups include hunter-gatherers, pastoral nomads (owning livestock), tinkers and trader nomads. In the twentieth century, the population of nomadic pa ...

Iranian Iranian () may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Iran ** Iranian diaspora, Iranians living outside Iran ** Iranian architecture, architecture of Iran and parts of the rest of West Asia ** Iranian cuisine, cooking traditions and practic ...

people known as the

Alans The Alans () were an ancient and medieval Iranian peoples, Iranic Eurasian nomads, nomadic pastoral people who migrated to what is today North Caucasus – while some continued on to Europe and later North Africa. They are generally regarded ...

, who settled in

Western Europe Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's extent varies depending on context. The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the Western half of the ancient Mediterranean ...

during the

Migration Period The Migration Period ( 300 to 600 AD), also known as the Barbarian Invasions, was a period in European history marked by large-scale migrations that saw the fall of the Western Roman Empire and subsequent settlement of its former territories ...

Etymology and early history

''Alan'' is a masculine given name in the English language. The modern English ''Alan'', and French '' Alain'', are derived from the name of the

. Described by Roman authors as tall, blond, and warlike, the Alans were a

people who lived on the

Eurasian Steppe The Eurasian Steppe, also called the Great Steppe or The Steppes, is the vast steppe ecoregion of Eurasia in the temperate grasslands, savannas and shrublands biome. It stretches through Manchuria, Mongolia, Xinjiang, Kazakhstan, Siberia, Europea ...

and the

Caucasus Mountains The Caucasus Mountains * * Azerbaijani: , * * * * * * * * * * * is a mountain range at the intersection of Asia and Europe. Stretching between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, they are surrounded by the Caucasus region ...

. Related to the

Scythians The Scythians ( or ) or Scyths (, but note Scytho- () in composition) and sometimes also referred to as the Pontic Scythians, were an Ancient Iranian peoples, ancient Eastern Iranian languages, Eastern Iranian peoples, Iranian Eurasian noma ...

, the Alans were known to Classical authors in the 1st century BC. The Alans settled in

in the

Early Middle Ages The Early Middle Ages (or early medieval period), sometimes controversially referred to as the Dark Ages (historiography), Dark Ages, is typically regarded by historians as lasting from the late 5th to the 10th century. They marked the start o ...

. Because there is no recorded use of the ethnonym ''Alani'' prior to the 1st century, and because no location with a placename derived from ''Alani'' can be shown to be older than the 5th century, it is likely that the name was derived from the Iranian Alan people. No other explanation of the origin of the name Alan has received any measure of acceptance by scholars. However, the Breton name ''Alan'' can not be a direct loan from the ethnic name of the Alans (rendered as ''Alānī'' or ''Halānī'' in Latin, from Scytho-Sarmatian ''*Al �n-'', derived from Old Iranian ''*aryāna'', "noble people") because the long vowel in the second syllable would produce Old Breton ''-o-'',

Middle Breton Breton (, , ; or in Morbihan) is a Southwestern Brittonic language of the Celtic language group spoken in Brittany, part of modern-day France. It is the only Celtic language still widely in use on the European mainland, albeit as a member of ...

''-eu-'' and Modern Breton ''-e-'' and not the attested spelling with an ''-a-''. In Breton, ''alan'' is a colloquial term for a fox and may originally have meant "deer", making it cognate with

Old Welsh Old Welsh () is the stage of the Welsh language from about 800 AD until the early 12th century when it developed into Middle Welsh.Koch, p. 1757. The preceding period, from the time Welsh became distinct from Common Brittonic around 550, ha ...

''alan'' (cf. ''Canu Aneirin'', B2.28, line 1125: ''"gnaut i-lluru alan buan bithei"'', "it was usual for him to be fleet like a deer"), Modern Welsh ''elain'' (plural ''alanedd'') "young deer" (and the plant name ''alan'' "coltsfoot, elecampane"), coming from a Brittonic root ''*alan-'' or ''*elan'' (also attested in Celtiberian in personal names such as ''Elanus'', ''Elaesus'', and ''Ela''), ultimately derived from

Proto-Indo-European Proto-Indo-European (PIE) is the reconstructed common ancestor of the Indo-European language family. No direct record of Proto-Indo-European exists; its proposed features have been derived by linguistic reconstruction from documented Indo-Euro ...

''*(H₁)el-Hn-'' "deer, hind" (perhaps denoting an animal - generally cervids - with red or brown fur). In Ireland and Gaelic-speaking Scotland, Alan may also be an

Anglicisation Anglicisation or anglicization is a form of cultural assimilation whereby something non-English becomes assimilated into or influenced by the culture of England. It can be sociocultural, in which a non-English place adopts the English language ...

of an Irish word (with

diminutive A diminutive is a word obtained by modifying a root word to convey a slighter degree of its root meaning, either to convey the smallness of the object or quality named, or to convey a sense of intimacy or endearment, and sometimes to belittle s ...

suffix) meaning " rock". For example, the modern Irish ''ailín'' means "little rock" or "pebble". which cited: for the surname "Allen". Similarly, according to Patrick Woulfe, the Irish name ''Ailín'' is derived from diminutive ''ail'', which means "noble", "rock". Woulfe stated that this name is a pet form of some other name beginning with the first element ''Ail-''. which is a transcription of: Forms of the Gaelic name appear in early British records; the

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

form ''Ailenus'' was recorded by

Adomnán Adomnán or Adamnán of Iona (; , ''Adomnanus''; 624 – 704), also known as Eunan ( ; from ), was an abbot of Iona Abbey ( 679–704), hagiographer, statesman, canon jurist, and Christian saint, saint. He was the author of the ''Life ...

(died 704). Another similar-looking word in Irish is ''álainn'' and

Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic (, ; Endonym and exonym, endonym: ), also known as Scots Gaelic or simply Gaelic, is a Celtic language native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a member of the Goidelic language, Goidelic branch of Celtic, Scottish Gaelic, alongs ...

''àlainn'', which means "beautiful".

Variations of the name

There are numerous variations of the name in English. The variants ''Allan'' and ''Allen'' are generally considered to be derived from the surnames ''Allan'' and ''Allen''. The form Allan is used mainly in Scotland and

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

. In England, the given names ''Allan'' and ''Allen'' are less popular than ''Alan''. However, in America all three are generally about the same in popularity. ''Alun'' is an old masculine given name in the

Welsh language Welsh ( or ) is a Celtic languages, Celtic language of the Brittonic languages, Brittonic subgroup that is native to the Welsh people. Welsh is spoken natively in Wales by about 18% of the population, by some in England, and in (the Welsh c ...

; although it is not directly related to ''Alan'' (it is derived from Proto-Celtic ''*alouno-'' meaning either "nourishing" or "wandering"), today it is generally used as a variant form of the English name. An earlier bearer of this name is Alun of Dyfed, a character in the ''

Mabinogion The ''Mabinogion'' () is a collection of the earliest Welsh prose stories, compiled in Middle Welsh in the 12th–13th centuries from earlier oral traditions. There are two main source manuscripts, created –1410, as well as a few earlier frag ...

''. The name became popular in modern times when it was adopted as a

bardic name A bardic name (, ) is a pseudonym used in Wales, Cornwall, or Brittany by poets and other artists, especially those involved in the eisteddfod movement. The Welsh language, Welsh term bardd ('poet') originally referred to the Welsh poets of the M ...

by John Blackwell, a 19th-century Welsh poet.

Short forms

The short form of ''Alan'' is ''Al''. which cited: This name is a short form of numerous other etymologically unrelated names that begin with this

syllable A syllable is a basic unit of organization within a sequence of speech sounds, such as within a word, typically defined by linguists as a ''nucleus'' (most often a vowel) with optional sounds before or after that nucleus (''margins'', which are ...

. Note also the Cornish hypocoristic form ''Talan''.

Feminine forms

There are numerous feminine forms of ''Alan''. The form ''Alana'' is a feminisation of the name. Variants of ''Alana'' include: ''Alanah'', ''Alanna'', ''Alannah'', ''Allana'', and ''Ilana''. Another feminine form is ''Alaina'', derived from the French ''Alain''; a variant of this feminine name is ''Alayna''. A variant form of Alaina is ''Alaine'', although it can also be a variant form of the etymologically unrelated ''Elaine''.

In other languages

* Croatian: ''Alan'', ''Alen'', masculine. ''Alina'', feminine. * Czech: ''Alan'', masculine. ''Alena'', feminine. * Danish: ''Allan'', masculine. * English: ''Alaina'', ''Alaine'', ''Alayna'', ''Alana'', ''Alanah'', ''Alanna'', ''Alannah'', ''Allana'', feminine. * Estonian: ''Allan'', masculine. * Faroese: ''Allan'', masculine. * French: '' Alain'', masculine. * Indonesian: ''Alan, Allan, Allendra, Allen, Alen, Allandra'', masculine * Irish: ''Ailín'', masculine. * Kurdish: ''Alan'', masculine. The flag bearer. *

: ''Alanus'', masculine. *

: ''Ailenus'', masculine, the Latin form of ''Ailín''. * Old Breton: ''Alan'', masculine. *

Old French Old French (, , ; ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France approximately between the late 8th * Ossetian: ''Alan'', masculine. * Ossetian people">Ossetian: ''Alan'', masculine. * Norman French: ''Alan'', masculine. * Romanian: ''Alin'', masculine. ''Alina'', feminine. *

: ''Ailean'', masculine. * Spanish: ''Alano'', ''Alán'', masculine. * Welsh language">Welsh: ''Alun'', masculine. * Indonesian: ''Alan'', masculine.

Popularity and use

The name was brought to England by Breton people, Bretons who took part in the Norman Invasion in the mid-11th century. Forms of the name were in use much earlier in what is today Brittany (administrative region), Brittany,

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. An early figure who bore the name was St Alan, a 5th-century bishop of

Quimper Quimper (, ; ; or ) is a Communes of France, commune and Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Finistère Departments of France, department of Brittany (administrative region), Brittany in northwestern France. Administration Quimper is the ...

. This saint became a cult figure in the Brittany during the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

. Another early bearer of the name was St Alan, a 6th-century Cornish saint, who has a church dedicated to his memory in

Cornwall Cornwall (; or ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is also one of the Celtic nations and the homeland of the Cornish people. The county is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, ...

(for example see St Allen, a

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...

in Cornwall named after this saint). Today the use of the given name (and its variants) is due to its popularity among the Bretons who imported the name to England, to Cornwall, and later to

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

. The Bretons formed a significant part of William, Duke of Normandy's army at the

Battle of Hastings The Battle of Hastings was fought on 14 October 1066 between the Norman-French army of William, Duke of Normandy, and an English army under the Anglo-Saxon King Harold Godwinson, beginning the Norman Conquest of England. It took place appr ...

in 1066. Later many Bretons were granted lands throughout William's freshly conquered kingdom. The most notable Breton Alan, Earl of Richmond, a

cadet A cadet is a student or trainee within various organisations, primarily in military contexts where individuals undergo training to become commissioned officers. However, several civilian organisations, including civil aviation groups, maritime ...

of the ducal house of Brittany, who was awarded with a large swath of lands in England - specifically lands in what is today

Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (), abbreviated ''Lincs'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber regions of England. It is bordered by the East Riding of Yorkshire across the Humber estuary to th ...

and

East Anglia East Anglia is an area of the East of England, often defined as including the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire, with parts of Essex sometimes also included. The name derives from the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the East Angles, ...

. The Breton character in many English counties can be traced through Breton personal names still in use in the 12th centuries. The name ranked 8th in popularity in Lincolnshire in the 12th century, where it was about even with ''Simon'' and more numerous than ''Henry''. Early occurrences of the name in British records include: ''Alanus'' in 1066 (in the ''

Domesday Book Domesday Book ( ; the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book") is a manuscript record of the Great Survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 at the behest of William the Conqueror. The manuscript was originally known by ...

''); and ''Alain'' in 1183. The name became popular in Scotland in part through the Stewarts. This family descends from

Alan fitz Flaad Alan fitz Flaad (c. 1060 – after 1120) was a Bretons, Breton knight, probably recruited as a mercenary by Henry I of England in his conflicts with his brothers. After Henry became King of England, Alan became an assiduous courtier and obtained ...

, an Anglo-Breton knight, who possessed lands in what is modern day

Shropshire Shropshire (; abbreviated SalopAlso used officially as the name of the county from 1974–1980. The demonym for inhabitants of the county "Salopian" derives from this name.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West M ...

, England.

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Alan (Name) English-language masculine given names English masculine given names Masculine given names German masculine given names