Allen is a boy name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Allen means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Allen across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Allen has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Allen is a boy name of Celtic origin meaning “of uncertain meaning, possibly rock or handsome”. a variant spelling of Alan.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 273,662 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 273 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 158 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 508 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 51 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Allen per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1951 (5,203/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1971 (26/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2007 (22/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1974 (15/yr).
Allen has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1951, when it ranked #147 nationally (given to 5,203 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1950s.
Ailany · Alan · Waylon · Ellen · Eileen · Allan · Alaina · Ailani
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