More info about the name "Alan"

The exact meaning of the name Alan is not known. Most sources take it to be of Celtic origins, where it stands for both 'rock' and 'handsome'. There is however another opinion that the name is a derivative of the 'Alans', a tribal people from the Persian region, who moved to Europe in the 4th and 5th centuries. The name has been popular on and off since the 6th century.