Given name & surname
Alana
“one who is precious”·“resembling a little rock”·“beautiful and fair woman; dear child”
In English use, Alana is a feminine form of Alan. Interpretations include “one who is precious” and “resembling a little rock”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts. In English use, Alana has a related form in Alaina. One French interpretation is “beautiful and fair woman; dear child.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In English use, Alana is a feminine form of Alan. Interpretations include “one who is precious” and “resembling a little rock”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts. In English use, Alana has a related form in Alaina. One French interpretation is “beautiful and fair woman; dear child.” In English use, Alana has a related form in Ilana. One Hebrew interpretation is “tree.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
In English use, Alana is a feminine form of Alan. A possible origin is Celtic, although the derivation remains uncertain. In English use, Alana has a related form in Alaina. An origin associated with Alaina is French. In English use, Alana has a related form in Alannah. A possible origin is Hebrew, although the derivation remains uncertain.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In English use, Alana is used as a feminine counterpart of Alan.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1930. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Alana through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 68,295
- 31 boys · 68,264 girls
- Most popular year
- 2007
- 2,461 babies
- 2025
- 2,085
- #140 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +17%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 2,085 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 140 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 16.7% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 2,461 in 2007. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (311). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 54,144 as a first name in 2020; 345 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Alana’s family of names
In English usage, Alana has a short form in Lana. In English usage, Alana is a feminine form of Alan. In English usage, Alana has a related form in Alaina.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 7
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 6
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Alana
- Alana de la GarzaAmerican actressborn 1976
- Alana HaimAmerican musician and actress (born 1991)
- Alana GebremariamBelarusian pro-democracy activist and feministborn 1997
- Alana BodenEnglish actressborn 1997
- Alana BeardAmerican basketball player (born 1982)
- Alana BoydAustralian pole vaulterborn 1984
- Alana Kingcricketerborn 1995
- Alana NicholsAmerican Paralympic wheelchair basketball player and alpine skierborn 1983
- Alana CookAmerican soccer playerborn 1997
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Alana, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Allona
“one who is as strong as an oak” · “of the oak tree”
>99% girls
Estrella
“star of the sea” · “resembling a star”
>99% girls
Oceana
Oceana is used as a feminine counterpart of Oceanus.
>99% girls
Marley
“from the meadow near the lake”
13% boys · 87% girls
Delaney
“the dark challenger” · “from the elder-tree grove”
1% boys · 99% girls
Yasmin
“resembling the jasmine flower”
>99% girls
Marlee
“of the marshy meadow”
2% boys · 98% girls
Autumn
“born in the fall”
>99% girls