How Many Variants Of The Name Alan Are There?

Alan is an ancient Celtic name which may come from a shorter form of an old Celtic word meaning "rock." It was first introduced in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066; some of William the Conqueror's Breton knights had the name Alan (of course, Brittany was earlier settled by Celts from Cornwall, so a form of the name could have existed in Britain much earlier and been reintroduced by William's followers.) A notable Alan at this time was the Earl of Brittany, whom William rewarded with large estates in England. The name continues to be popular, particularly in Scotland. It can also be spelt Allen or Allan; these variants are rare in Britain but common in the US. In Wales there is a fourth variant, Alun; this is the name of a hero of ancient Welsh legend. The modern French spelling is Alain, with the stress on the second syllable.