Alan

[schroedingersdodo]

What do you think of it? What do you expect from an Alan?

LOL at Psammead! It's definitely someones Dad's name.

And the weirdest thing is, not only is he a dad with a brother called Malcolm, but his best friend (joined at the bloody hip) is called Steve, which is the name of the other meerkat in that show.

My dad must be the most stereotypical Alan since records began.

My dad is a totally unstereotypical Alan if there is such a thing. He's completely bonkers and not in the slightest bit brown. If the mad hatter's tea party was a colour he'd be it!

Partridge. I am so sorry but it is what immediately jumps to mind.

Alans tend to be quite nice, easy-going types.

If you're looking for something less unfashionable - how about Alistair?

My brother is called Alan, he's 35 and goes by Al or by his surname

He's probably the youngest Alan I know

I do think however that it's due a revival, it's a nice enough name just not terribly fashionable at the moment. I wouldn't have it on my hideous middle aged name list along with Kevin, Derek etc

My DH (aged 50) is Alan and would agree you Schroedinger that he is more blue/grey than brown . I can never imagine little boys called Alan though.

The problem with Alistair is that I need that a name that works in several languages, and Alistair definitely doesn't work in my first language.

I started to like Alan after I figured out there are no babies named this. So, it's a name that everyone knows (nothing weird or ridiculous) but not overused. My own name is a bit like that.

And I have no idea what DH thinks of that, for that matter :)

I like it. Unexpected and no-nonsense.

Did anyone mention yet?

I fully support Dad-generation names. I love Alan and have been entertaining the idea of a little Bernard for DS2.

Aw my Dad is Alan. I think it will work. Especially if you have some exotic foreignness about you/him. Where are you from?

Not too bright!

MY DH is an Allan. He's under 35 and gorgeous BUT when I first met him I wasn't struck by the name. i have never come across another Allan his age or younger

I also hate it when people shorten his name to Al.

I think it works better as Allan, and with that spelling it is lovely.

Bernard is lovely, but again, it doesn't work well in my first language... I think dad-generation names are the way to go - not too retro and not too popular :)

Bumbums, are you Brazilian by any chance? (because of your nn) DH and I are from Brazil, but we have German and Japanese heritage as well, so we have to find names that work well across lots of borders... (and for a child with any sort of looks...)

I know a baby Alan. It doesn't seem to fit right with a baby, but I suppose that hardly matters as he'll only be a baby a very short time.

Alan is clearly a white name (I don't mean racially... but I suppose it kind of is - in fact isn't that a joke in an Eddie Murphy movie? "I can't remember his name, some white guy name... Alan or something"). It's all the As. As are white. Brown! Pah!

For the record my partner is an Alan and he's under 30. His best friends at school were also called Alan and Alan. And his final best friend's surname was Allan. It seems to have had a bit of a 'moment' in our area around 1983.

DH (who is an Alan) points out that Alan in Eastenders was black!

Come back here in twenty years and our dd's will be posting threads debating whether to call their sons Alan or Derek and their daughters Alison or Susan. I'll be astonished if our grandchildren aren't called 1970's names. OP - if you like the name then go for it - you'll be ahead of the curve.

My sons middle name is Alan after my grandad, I wouldn't use it as a first name though