Meanings
alan1
Alan2
plural Alans · alternative Allan · alternative Allen · alternative Alen
- A male given name from the Celtic languages.
He grabbed at Alan by his Adam's apple, And Alan grabbed him back in furious grapple And clenched his fist and bashed him on the nose.
1951, Geoffrey Chaucer, “The Reeve's Tale”, in Nevill Coghill, transl., The Canterbury Tales: Translated into Modern English (Penguin Classics), Penguin Books, published 19771 more example
I could pose as an artist all right; so I took the studio. Also the name of Alan Beverley. My own is Bill Bates. I had often wondered what it would feel like to be called by some name like Alan Beverley or Cyril Trevelyan.
1910, P. G. Wodehouse, The Man Upstairs, and Other Stories, BiblioBazaar, LLC, published 2008, →ISBN, page 24 - A surname.
Alan3
Alan4
ALAN5
- abbreviationinitialismuncountableInitialism of artificial light at night.
Skyglow is a form of artificial light at night (ALAN) whereby the atmosphere scatters light back to Earth, creating a glowing dome of diffused light that can extend hundreds of kilometres into the sea.
2021 March 16, Mattias Green, Yueng-Djern Lenn, 30-Second Oceans: 50 Key Ideas about the Sea's Importance to Life on Earth, 30 Second, →ISBN
Origin
Alan · proper noun
- Old BretonAlan
- EnglishAlan
From Old Breton Alan, name of early Breton saints, of disputed origin and meaning; brought to England by Normans. It may have been the name of a Celtic deity, the brother of Bran, Welsh Alawn, Alun. As an early Irish name, perhaps connected with ail (“noble”). Compare French Alain.
More words from Old Breton
Full word history & related roots →Alan · noun
- Proto-Sarmatian*Āllān
- Ancient GreekἈλανοί
- LatinAlānī
- EnglishAlan
From Latin Alānī, from Ancient Greek Ἀλανοί (Alanoí), from Proto-Sarmatian *Āllān.
More words from Latin, Ancient Greek, Proto-Sarmatian
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek Ἀλανοί
- Ἀλανοί (Alanoí)member of a Sarmatian tribe
Basque Alain
- Alainmale given name
Catalan Alà, alà
- Alàmale given name
- alàmember of a Sarmatian tribe
- alanamember of a Sarmatian tribe
Chinese Mandarin 艾倫 /艾伦
- 艾倫 /艾伦 (Àilún)male given name
Czech Alan, Alan
- Alanmale given name
- Alanmember of a Sarmatian tribe
Danish Allan
- Allanmale given name
Dutch Alan, Alanus
- Alanmale given name
- Alanusmale given name
- Alainmale given name
Finnish Allan
- Allanmale given name
Flemish Alaan, Alain
- Alaanmale given name
- Alainmale given name
French Alain
- Alainmale given name
German Alanen
- Alanenmember of a Sarmatian tribe
Greek Αλανός, Αλάν
- Αλανός (Alanós)male given name
- Αλάν (Alán)male given name
Irish Ailín
- Ailínmale given name
Italian Alano
- Alanomale given name
Latin Alanus, Alānī
- Alanusmale given name
- Alānīmember of a Sarmatian tribe
Māori Ārana, Ārena
- Āranamale given name
- Ārenamale given name
Persian آلن, آلان
- آلن (âlen)male given name
- آلان (âlân)member of a Sarmatian tribe
Portuguese Alan, alano
- Alanmale given name
- alanomember of a Sarmatian tribe
Russian А́лан, ала́н
- А́лан (Álan)male given name
- ала́н (alán)member of a Sarmatian tribe
Scottish Gaelic Ailean
- Aileanmale given name
Slovak Alan
- Alanmale given name
Spanish Alano, Alán
- Alanomale given name
- Alánmale given name
- alanomember of a Sarmatian tribe
Swedish Allan
- Allanmale given name
Turkish Alan
- Alanmember of a Sarmatian tribe
Welsh Alawn, Alun
- Alawnmale given name
- Alunmale given name
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with alan
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
alan. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/alan
“alan.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/alan. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “alan,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/alan.
Source: alan on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.