Allan is a spelling of Alan, a Breton name brought to England by the Normans; its meaning is uncertain and is usually given as "little rock" or "handsome". The double-l spelling is familiar from Edgar Allan Poe, who took it from the family that raised him. In the United States Allan ranked number 483 in 2000 and peaked at number 412 in 2003; it held around number 800 for a decade and fell to number 1013 in 2025.