Alan is a name of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic 'Ailean', which means 'little rock'. It gained prominence through figures such as Scottish novelist Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's character Dr. John Watson, who is often referred to by his middle name Alan in the popular Sherlock Holmes stories.
The name Alan saw a significant rise in popularity from the late 1940s to the mid-1960s, peaking at 28 births in 1962 and 24 births in 1964. However, its popularity has declined since then, with fewer than 15 births per year from the late 1970s onwards. The most recent data shows a steady low of around 5 births per year between 2016 and 2018. Overall, there have been 1076 recorded births named Alan since 1921.