Alan - ?? off the wall or retro and will seem cool?

[NeverKnowinglyUnderstood]

discuss

[Vatta]

kittenofdoom - Alan is very widely used as an alternative word for anal, especially on the Internet and email. I'm afraid to me it's just a funny name now.

[bugsybill]

I really like it for how it looks and sounds but I don't think you can use it because it is still associated with older men.

In 20 years I think it will be popular again as it is a great name... easy to pronounce, looks nice written down, rolls off the tongue easily. All reasons why it was so popular 40-80 years ago.

[amazingmumof6]

good'un

or Alun

[MrsJohnDeere]

There is one at school with my Dcs (aged 5).

[HesterShaw]

My dad is called Alan, and he's very ill. When we were thinking of middle names for DS's new baby, we thought of the middle name Alan and then conversation moved on again very quickly :(. It's a dad or an uncle's name, not a baby.


However if you're in Wales, Alun, doesn't have the same kind of associations.

[HappyJoyful]

neither off the wall or retro.. resounding no.

Jonny, Scott, Ian, Paul, David, Michael, Stuart, Neil... all beat Alan.

[KittenofDoom]

I'm in my 50s and have known loads of Alans and NEVER ONCE has the anagram 'anal' cropped up. You can find something horrible to say about any name if you try really hard.

[GwendolineMaryLacey]

If I'd had a boy then Alan would have been in there somewhere. I really like it. But then, it's my dad's name and he's very cool.

[hippoesque]

Will struggle in any group gathering e.g festivals. We can all thank that creature comfort(??) thing on BBC for that one.

[Oblongata]

The only Alan I've known was a classic charming psychopath with proper delusions.
Therefore you should not name your baby Alan.

(Other than that, it's an ok name, just a bit boring. Alain de Botton seems to do ok, maybe that extra 'i' is worth it.)

[twitchypalm]

I know of an Alun but he get called ali he suits it though

[sleepingbeautiful]

Makes me think of Alan-a-dale in Robin Hood as well as Alan Partridge.

I'd not be in a rush to choose it, but it's better than Ptolemy and Edgar.

[peanutsandwich]

Dull and dated.

[invicta]

If you like it, use it. It doesn't really matter what other people think.

I like it.

[Sidge]

I can't hear Alan without thinking of this now...

[EuphemiaLennox]

Alun is good if you say it with a Welsh accent.

Can't guarantee everyone will though.

[lottiegarbanzo]

Alun is much better, oddly.

[twitchypalm]

how do people feel about it being spelt alun the welsh way?

[EuphemiaLennox]

If you are an achingly cool hipster yiu could probably get away with it. People would assume it's the new wave retro and you're ahead of the curve.

Which is probably true but yiud probably be 20yrs ahead of the curve then 100s of little Alans and Dereks will be turning up. Bit like being a 30 yr old Grace or Ruby now.

[Avalicious1980]

About five years ago I bumped into an ex student with her baby boy. I asked her his name and she said "Alan". I replied "Adam" thinking I'd misheard her. The baby was actually called Alan. I felt awful because I was shocked to hear my husband's name on a baby.

[superbadspeller]

My grandad was an allan. never met him so no idea what he was like. My favourite ever cousin is allan and i love him like a baby brother - my ds middle name is allan after him. I like it as a first but my aunt would get far too giddy over my using 'her' name not in a bad way just constant showing off yuk.

I also like stuart though and according to MN on occasion that is the most awful name ever.

[pinkpudding]

my dh is Alan. he did not want any of our children to have his name. hth

[sonlypuppyfat]

I know an Alyn who is an older man but it just seems nicer than Alan

[AllegraLilac]

My dear Grandad. Would like to use for future DS. Middle name probably.

[Lyftiduft]

to me it's one of the granny age names, as my grandad was Allan, b. 1922 (he'd be 91). I quite like it, DS is Alex though.

I also quite like Bernard- but couldn't use it as surname starts with D - and Ian is on the list for DC2...