Given name & surname
Allen
“one who is precious”·“resembling a little rock”
In English use, Allen is a variant of Alan. Interpretations include “one who is precious” and “resembling a little rock”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Meaning & origin
What it means
In English use, Allen is a variant of Alan. Interpretations include “one who is precious” and “resembling a little rock”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
In English use, Allen is a variant of Alan. A possible origin is Celtic, although the derivation remains uncertain.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Allen through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 273,662
- 271,796 boys · 1,866 girls
- Most popular year
- 1951
- 5,203 babies
- 2025
- 507
- #578 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −30%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 507 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 578 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 29.1% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 5,179 in 1951. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (65). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 166,924 as a first name in 2020; 465,583 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.
Allen’s family of names
Allen has an alternative spelling in Alan. Allen has a related form in Alan. In English usage, Allen has a conventional equivalent in the Irish form Ailín.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Allen has relatives in 6 languages.
6 related names in 6 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 5
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 7
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Allen
- Allen IversonAmerican basketball player (born 1975)
- Allen Dullesfirst civilian and longest-serving Director of Central Intelligence (DCI)1893–1969
- Apl.de.apFilipino musicianborn 1974
- AJ StylesAmerican professional wrestlerborn 1977
- Allen NewellAmerican cognitive scientist (1927–1992)
- Allen JohnsonAmerican hurdlerborn 1971
- Allen ChastanetPrime Minister of Saint Lucia from 2016 to 2021born 1960
- Allen KleinAmerican businessman, music publisher (1931–2009)
- Allen CarrBritish author (1934–2006)
Characters named Allen: Allen Walker (D. Gray-man), Allen Francis Doyle (the TV series Angel).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
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