Allen Boy

Popularity: #509 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: AL-en /ˈæl.ən/

Origin: English; Irish

Meaning: English: harmony; Irish: little rock

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Allen has its roots in the Celtic language, specifically deriving from the Old Breton name "Ailin," which means "little rock" or "harmony." This name made its way into the Old French form "Alain," which was popularized in the medieval period. The transition into English occurred after the Norman Conquest of England in the 11th century, when many Breton names were introduced into the English language.

The name Allen, as a variant of Alain, began to be used in England during the Middle Ages, particularly among the Anglo-Norman nobility. Historically, the name Allen has been borne by several notable figures, including Saint Alan, a Breton saint of the 6th century, who contributed to the name's early significance in Christian contexts.

The name also appeared in various forms in medieval texts and was associated with several noble families in England and Scotland. The 12th century saw the establishment of the Allen family in England, which further solidified the name's presence in historical records.

Additionally, the name appears in various literary works, including Geoffrey Chaucer's writings from the late 14th century, showcasing its integration into English culture. Culturally, the name Allen has been associated with strength and stability, reflecting its literal meaning of "rock." This symbolism has contributed to its endurance over centuries, as names with strong meanings often carry a sense of identity and heritage.

The name has also seen variations and diminutives, such as Al or Ally, which have been used in various contexts throughout history. Overall, Allen's journey from its Celtic origins through medieval Europe to its establishment in English-speaking cultures illustrates the dynamic interplay of language, history, and cultural significance.

Famous people named Allen

In this section, you will find notable people named Allen. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Allen who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Allen who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Allen Ginsberg is a poet best known for Howl, Kaddish, and The Fall of America.

Allen Iverson is a former professional basketball player best known for his time with the Philadelphia 76ers, winning the NBA MVP award, and being an 11-time NBA All-Star.

Allen Stone is a singer-songwriter best known for his self-titled album, Radius, and his soulful music style.

Allen Ludden was a television host best known for his work on Password, Password Plus, and Super Password.

Allen Funt was a television producer and director best known for Candid Camera and its long-running series.

Allen Carr was an author best known for his book The Easy Way to Stop Smoking and his methods for quitting smoking.

Fictional characters named Allen

The following list of fictional characters named Allen is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Allen Walker is a fictional character from the manga and anime series D.Gray-man. He is an Exorcist who fights against the Millennium Earl and his Akuma to protect humanity.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Allen, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

EllaAriaLenaMayaNinaClara

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Allen. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

AileenAlanaElenaAllisonAdelineAlyssaAlinaAllegra

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Allen was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Allen has ranked as high as #147 nationally, which occurred in 1951, and has been most popular in California, New York, Texas, Pennsylvania, and Illinois.

In the past 5 years the name Allen has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Allen is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Allen was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Allen.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 507 507 0
2024 502 502 0
2023 573 573 0
2022 529 529 0
2021 559 559 0
2020 649 638 11
2019 709 702 7
2018 741 741 0
2017 791 791 0
2016 901 895 6
2015 976 976 0
2014 865 860 5
2013 924 917 7
2012 964 959 5
2011 1,010 1,005 5
2010 983 975 8
2009 1,039 1,039 0
2008 1,148 1,139 9
2007 1,198 1,198 0
2006 1,229 1,229 0
2005 1,236 1,231 5
2004 1,311 1,303 8
2003 1,318 1,318 0
2002 1,390 1,384 6
2001 1,396 1,389 7
2000 1,359 1,351 8
1999 1,320 1,315 5
1998 1,316 1,316 0
1997 1,415 1,408 7
1996 1,473 1,468 5
1995 1,561 1,550 11
1994 1,759 1,747 12
1993 1,913 1,900 13
1992 1,931 1,919 12
1991 2,122 2,108 14
1990 2,235 2,220 15
1989 2,374 2,362 12
1988 2,218 2,208 10
1987 2,189 2,172 17
1986 2,152 2,120 32
1985 2,208 2,187 21
1984 2,142 2,121 21
1983 2,266 2,247 19
1982 2,238 2,216 22
1981 2,080 2,061 19
1980 2,227 2,210 17
1979 1,954 1,937 17
1978 1,837 1,828 9
1977 1,842 1,818 24
1976 1,986 1,968 18
1975 2,043 2,031 12
1974 2,115 2,102 13
1973 2,092 2,077 15
1972 2,310 2,302 8
1971 2,686 2,671 15
1970 2,954 2,933 21
1969 2,910 2,885 25
1968 2,979 2,961 18
1967 3,147 3,123 24
1966 3,446 3,420 26
1965 3,853 3,834 19
1964 4,121 4,098 23
1963 4,356 4,339 17
1962 4,298 4,272 26
1961 4,417 4,391 26
1960 4,391 4,371 20
1959 4,383 4,366 17
1958 4,551 4,527 24
1957 4,425 4,412 13
1956 4,639 4,612 27
1955 4,769 4,744 25
1954 4,854 4,832 22
1953 4,874 4,854 20
1952 4,971 4,956 15
1951 5,203 5,179 24
1950 4,859 4,840 19
1949 4,756 4,735 21
1948 4,780 4,755 25
1947 5,099 5,075 24
1946 4,310 4,294 16
1945 3,499 3,481 18
1944 3,435 3,422 13
1943 3,657 3,627 30
1942 3,604 3,571 33
1941 3,081 3,060 21
1940 3,045 3,029 16
1939 2,955 2,928 27
1938 2,853 2,834 19
1937 2,531 2,518 13
1936 2,325 2,314 11
1935 2,332 2,312 20
1934 2,257 2,241 16
1933 2,227 2,204 23
1932 2,446 2,419 27
1931 2,333 2,308 25
1930 2,308 2,278 30
1929 2,217 2,189 28
1928 2,162 2,137 25
1927 2,131 2,101 30
1926 2,041 2,021 20
1925 2,070 2,034 36
1924 2,070 2,045 25
1923 1,890 1,875 15
1922 1,920 1,887 33
1921 1,961 1,937 24
1920 1,885 1,866 19
1919 1,672 1,653 19
1918 1,801 1,779 22
1917 1,617 1,592 25
1916 1,584 1,572 12
1915 1,483 1,458 25
1914 1,074 1,049 25
1913 918 903 15
1912 743 730 13
1911 414 402 12
1910 364 355 9
1909 318 312 6
1908 292 287 5
1907 317 309 8
1906 282 282 0
1905 272 272 0
1904 228 228 0
1903 224 219 5
1902 227 227 0
1901 199 199 0
1900 231 223 8
1899 191 191 0
1898 190 185 5
1897 226 226 0
1896 225 219 6
1895 196 196 0
1894 219 219 0
1893 180 180 0
1892 224 224 0
1891 173 173 0
1890 189 189 0
1889 222 222 0
1888 260 260 0
1887 202 202 0
1886 211 211 0
1885 184 184 0
1884 182 182 0
1883 175 175 0
1882 206 206 0
1881 172 172 0
1880 184 184 0

Top States for Allen (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
CA 69
15%
TX 54
12%
PA 31
7%
FL 29
6%
NY 28
6%
OH 22
5%
MI 19
4%
GA 17
4%
IN 14
3%
IL 13
3%
MD 11
2%
NJ 11
2%
MN 11
2%
NC 11
2%
MO 10
2%
LA 10
2%
WA 10
2%
OR 9
2%
CO 9
2%
TN 8
2%
MA 7
2%
WI 7
2%
AL 7
2%
VA 7
2%
AZ 7
2%
IA 6
1%
KS 6
1%
SC 5
1%
NE 5
1%