Comments (Meaning / History Only)
Alan means field in Turkish.
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Alan is Welsh for a young male deer, i.e. a buck. Élan is the female version.
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The origin of Alan did come from the area known as Iran, but is not Iranian. It is instead Parthian in origin or otherwise from Israelite origin. The Israelites were freed from Babylon by King Darius of Persia. They resettled in the area that became Parthia a freed nation of Israelites that eventually immigrated north towards Europe.
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I think Alan's real meaning should be "Rock".
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ALLAN is a personal name in Iceland, and the name ALLAN appears as as a surname as ALLANSSON (in the usual Scandinavian fashion).
ALAN may therfore derive from ALLAN and not vice versa.
ALAIN is the French form - and seems also to come from Normandy which was Viking colony (on which basis William The Conqueror, Duke of Normandy claimed the British throne by a tenuous blood claim (Wikipedia)).
My guess is that the name is Scandinavian passed into Scotland, Iceland, Normandy and Brittany with the Viking diapsora and the Danish kingdoms (Iceland was a part of Denmark).
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ALAN may therfore derive from ALLAN and not vice versa.
ALAIN is the French form - and seems also to come from Normandy which was Viking colony (on which basis William The Conqueror, Duke of Normandy claimed the British throne by a tenuous blood claim (Wikipedia)).
My guess is that the name is Scandinavian passed into Scotland, Iceland, Normandy and Brittany with the Viking diapsora and the Danish kingdoms (Iceland was a part of Denmark).
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Latin Christian names with their English equivalents: Alanus, Aleyn, Alan
http://ia300016.us.archive.org/3/items/recordinterprete00martiala/recordinterprete00martiala_djvu.txt
Correlation to the word Alien, that means now a resident foreigner, or an outsider. So from the Roman times, a member of the Alan tribe was an Aleyn. (alt spelling?)
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http://ia300016.us.archive.org/3/items/recordinterprete00martiala/recordinterprete00martiala_djvu.txt
Correlation to the word Alien, that means now a resident foreigner, or an outsider. So from the Roman times, a member of the Alan tribe was an Aleyn. (alt spelling?)
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The Scottish Gaelic little rock does not stand for Alan, it would have to be made into a plural to possibly give it a chance. To pronounce the name Alan in Gaelic can also have the meaning a green plain, much in the way as the word steppe, where the people known as the Alans once lived. The Breton meaning for Alan as being good looking could easily come from the Alans too, as it was said the looks of the people were striking with shoulder length blonde hair quite often, and blue or green eyes.
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One of my books says this is Celtic, possibly meaning "peace". Not sure if I trust that since it doesn't say so elsewhere.
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It means handsome and trusting, honest and kind.
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Alan was originally popular in Brittany and Scotland; the most famous Breton called Alan is Alan Stivell.
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The Alans ( Alani in latin or Alanoi in greek) were a nomadic tribe of horsemen of Iranian origin, dwelling in Ossetia in the northern Caucasia during the Classical Antiquity. There were related to the Scytes or the Sarmates. After being defeated by the Huns in the fourth century, some of them moved westward and settled in France in the Loire valley around Orleans. A part of this group, in alliance with the Vandals, a Germanic tribe, moved further west to Spain. They left their name to various cities in France like Allaines, Allainville, Alaincourt. But it is also plausible that the first name Alan, popular in Brittany, and which was used as soon as the fourth century in Armorica (ancient name for the part of Gaule including the Brittany peninsula), has also a Celtic origin.
More informations at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alans,
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alains.
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More informations at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alans,
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alains.
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The word 'old', developed from Anglian 'ald' and West Saxon 'eald', is from the Proto-Germanic 'aldas', which was originally a past participle formation from the verb stem 'al-', found in Old English 'alan' and Gothic 'alan' meaning 'grow' or 'nourish', or 'increase'.
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Comments are left by users of this website. They are not checked for accuracy.
In slavic countries the name ALAN connects with LAN (female deer) and JELEN (male deer) and with words as ELEGANT and has kind of noble sound.
I personally find history of the name really interesting. Probably made it (as really few names) from Celts to Medieval Christian Brittany, from there to France and UK, from there to US and in 20th century became really popular across both continents. It was a favourite name (from reasons unknown) to New York Jews (Alan Konigsberg a.k.a. Woody Allen, Allan Derschowitz (prominent lawyer), Allan Greenspan (ex FED director). It was really popular also in France in prewar and post war years, Alain Badiou is a the most important French philospher still alive, Alain Robbe Grillet - avantgarde director, Alan Deloin - French actor...
During last decades the name got popular also in South America and Central and Eastern Europe. I would say due to its shortness - short names tend to be more popular, due it is noble sound - starting with AL and also because it is soft but still masculine and strong. At least in Slavic languages the name ending AN are considered strong. As IVAN for example.