Alana is the feminine form of Alan, a Celtic name of uncertain meaning that is usually explained as "little rock" or "handsome". In Hawaiian the word alana means "offering" or "awakening", which gives the name a second, island-flavored reading that many American families prefer. Alana ranked 253rd in the United States in 2000, spent years around number 200 and climbed to number 140 in 2025, its highest rank since 2000.