Alan

The meaning of this name is not known for certain. It was used in Brittany at least as early as the 6th century, and it could be of Brythonic origin meaning "little rock". Alternatively, it may derive from the tribal name of the Alans, an Iranian people who migrated into Europe in the 4th and 5th centuries.

This name was borne by the 6th-century Saint Alan of Quimper, as well as several dukes of Brittany. Breton settlers introduced it to England after the Norman Conquest. Famous modern bearers include Alan Shepard (1923-1998), the first American in space and the fifth man to walk on the moon, and Alan Turing (1912-1954), a British mathematician and computer scientist.