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“Variant of Alan — Origin disputed; possibly linked to a word for noble” — Old Breton origin
Boy's name · #578 in the US (2025) · Timeless
Allen holds its lane: charted since 1880 and rarely far from where it stands today (#578 in 2025). About 272,000 boys have carried it along the way. In all that time it has never once missed a year of the national records. Together with its spelling variants Alan (#191) and Allan (#1013), Allen would rank around #137 with about 2,600 births last year — the newborns split about 73/19/8 across Alan, Allen, and Allan.
Around the world: about 1 in 6,600 boys in Canada (2024).
Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 35 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.
Among 1,221 notable people named Allen:
No single standout — notable Allens spread across many fields.
Similar names: Allan · Lawrence · Alec · Philip · Alvin · Glenn
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