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I really like Alan. I'm not sure why, since it's not super interesting, but for some reason I just like it a lot. I also like other spellings of it like Allen and Allan. Ian seems really boring, especially since it's just a form of John. The spelling Iain is kind of cool, but probably leads to a lot of confusion and mispronunciation.

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MNs:

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Alan Beauregard
Alan Dale
Alan Dawson
Alan Edryd
Alan Emmerich
Alan Emrys
Alan Frederick
Alan Garner
Alan Gray
Alan Finnian
Alan Idris
Alan Iah
Alan Jude
Alan Leonis
Alan Mercer
Alan Millard
Alan Moriarty
Alan Osiris
Alan Percival
Alan Prosper
Alan Ptolemy
Alan Romulus
Alan Shepherd
Alan Ulysses
Alan Westley

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Ian Alaric

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Alan because it's my grandpa's name.

They have a very similar vibe to me too: old-man names, not particularly striking or appealing and very common. If I had to I guess I'd choose Alan, because it's a little more classic and I prefer the sound, although I like Alain better.

In my mind they are not much alike at all. Different styles.

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I like Ian way more than Alan.

both are good, I can't choose. I like them both.

I don't like either, but would choose Alan. Alan is dull, not because it's common, but it just seems very non-descipt. Ian is young and whiny and boring. It doesn't sound namme-y to me, more like tthe end of a different name.

I prefer Alan, though maybe it's a dad name (dated?) right now. I know two who are both in their 30s; one of them is a math professor who dresses like a lumberjack, and the other is a counselor. It sounds warm, easygoing, artistic, and/or unassuming to me.

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I've never met an Ian. It sounds British to me (which sort of makes sense if you look at history of popularity rather than current rankings); it also sounds a bit whiny/insubstantial/bland to me yet has somewhat of a scholarly vibe.

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Or, put another way, I associate Alan with flannel or corduroy and Ian with tweed.

This message was edited 10/2/2017, 10:37 AM

I like both but prefer Ian. I think partially because Alan feels a little more dated and I don't care for the nn Al.

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If my cousin Rachel who is my age had been a boy she would have been named Ian.

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This message was edited 10/2/2017, 5:28 AM

I like both of them very much - about equally, really. They've both got a steady, strong, low-key vibe that I really appreciate and they've never been over-used.

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If I was visiting here from another planet, I might actually prefer Alan, though it would be close. Since I'm a citizen of Earth, it's Ian all the way for personal reasons.

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I would have used Ian for my son, actually, but DH's sister had recently divorced a (very nice) Ian so we thought it would be tactless.

I like Ian much more.
Alan has so much "Al" in it, and Al sounds like older guy, friendly but sort of mediocre. It's a mild name, mild and smooth and reliable. The male version of Ellen? hehe.
Ian sounds more bright and dynamic to me, and I guess it's getting dated, but it's not "old" at this point. It's not as preppy as Sean, but more distinctive than John.

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These seem like they might be cliche but:
Ian Cameron
Ian Malcolm

Ian. I think Alan is bland.

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Ian Avery is the first combo that popped into my brain.

I prefer Ian over Alan. Alan seems dated. With Alan, I imagine a balding middle-aged man. With Ian, I can imagine different ages, but overall, it feels quite youthful.

I think I prefer Ian. It just comes across as more relatable. Alan seems more dated and is most often used as a middle name now, though is not a bad name by any means. I have nothing against it.

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I knew an Ian whom I went to school with and another one whose name was spelled with an E instead Ean. I absolutely never cared for that spelling

I like Alan, or Allen or Allan, a lot, so this isn't a problem.

I prefer Alan. I never liked Ian, I think its the EEE sound at the beginning that bugs me.

I prefer Ian. I've never met one so it's sort of a blank slate to me. To me, it feels youthful and scholarly.

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Because of my family association with Alan, it feels older and much more conservative.

Both are really dated where I live. I have an uncle Ian and an uncle Alan! I guess I slightly prefer Ian.

I have a uncle name Ian and a brother name Allan, with two Ls, so I don't know, I like both.

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I prefer Allan to Alan because of my brother.

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Ian is more sporty, while Allan makes me think of more of a artist. Not sure why.

Alan. It's more substantial than Ian and sounds less like a jumble of syllables, and definitely less whiny.

I don't particularly like either one, but I much prefer Ian to Alan. Sounds more youthful and sweet.