Alan (given name)

Last updated
Alan
Pronunciation /ˈælən/ [1]
Gender Male
Language(s) English, Old Breton, Celtic, Norman French
Other names
Variant form(s) Allan, Allen, Allyn, Alen, Alin, Alyn
Short form(s)Al, Allie, Ally, Ali
See also Alun

Alan is a masculine given name in the English and Breton languages. Its surname form is Aland. [2]

Contents

There is consensus that in modern English and French, the name is derived from the nomadic Iranian people known as the Alans, who settled in Western Europe during the Migration Period. [3]

Etymology and early history

Alan is a masculine given name in the English language. [4] [5]

The modern English Alan, and French Alain , are derived from the name of the Alans. [6] Described by Roman authors as tall, blond, and warlike, the Alans were a nomadic Iranian people who lived on the Eurasian steppe and the Caucasus mountains. [7] [8]

Related to the Scythians, the Alans were known to Classical authors in the 1st century BC. [6]

The Alans settled in Western Europe in the Early Middle Ages. [3] Because there is no recorded use of the ethnonym Alani prior to the 1st century, and because no location with a placename derived from Alani can be shown to be older than the 5th century, it is likely that the name was derived from the Iranian Alan people. [3] No other explanation of the origin of the name Alan has received any measure of acceptance by scholars. [3]

However, the Breton name Alan can not be a direct loan from the ethnic name of the Alans (rendered as Alānī or Halānī in Latin, from Scytho-Sarmatian *Al[l]ān-, derived from Old Iranian *aryāna, "noble people") [9] because the long vowel in the second syllable would produce Old Breton -o-, Middle Breton -eu- and Modern Breton -e- and not the attested spelling with an -a-. [10] [11]

In Breton, alan is a colloquial term for a fox and may originally have meant "deer", making it cognate with Old Welsh alan (cf. Canu Aneirin, B2.28, line 1125: "gnaut i-lluru alan buan bithei", "it was usual for him to be fleet like a deer" [12] ), Modern Welsh elain (plural alanedd) "young deer" (and the plant name alan "coltsfoot, elecampane"), coming from a Brittonic root *alan- or *elan (also attested in Celtiberian in personal names such as Elanus, Elaesus, and Ela [13] ), ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European *(H1)el-Hn- "deer, hind" (perhaps denoting an animal - generally cervids - with red or brown fur). [14] [15] [16]


In Ireland and Gaelic-speaking Scotland, Alan may also be an Anglicisation of an Irish word (with diminutive suffix) meaning "rock". [4] For example, the modern Irish ailín means "little rock". [17] Similarly, according to Patrick Woulfe, the Irish name Ailín is derived from diminutive ail, which means "noble", "rock". Woulfe stated that this name is a pet form of some other name beginning with the first element Ail-. [18] [19] Forms of the Gaelic name appear in early British records; the Latin form Ailenus was recorded by Adomnán (died 704). [5] [20] [note 1] Another similar-looking word in Irish is álainn and Scottish Gaelic àlainn, which means "beautiful". [23] [24] [25]

Variations of the name

There are numerous variations of the name in English. The variants Allan and Allen are generally considered to be derived from the surnames Allan and Allen. [4] The form Allan is used mainly in Scotland and North America. [26] In England, the given names Allan and Allen are less popular than Alan. However, in America all three are generally about the same in popularity. [4]

Alun is an old masculine given name in the Welsh language; although it is not directly related to Alan (it is derived from Proto-Celtic *alouno- meaning either "nourishing" or "wandering" [27] [28] ), today it is generally used as a variant form of the English name. An earlier bearer of this name is Alun of Dyfed, a character in the Mabinogion . The name became popular in modern times when it was adopted as a bardic name by John Blackwell, a 19th-century Welsh poet. [29]

Short forms

The short form of Alan is Al. [4] /æl/ [30]

This name is a short form of numerous other etymologically unrelated names that begin with this syllable. [4] Note also the Cornish hypocoristic form Talan.

Feminine forms

There are numerous feminine forms of Alan. The form Alana is a feminisation of the name. Variants of Alana include: Alanah, Alanna, Alannah, Allana, and Ilana. [4] Another feminine form is Alaina, derived from the French Alain; a variant of this feminine name is Alayna. [4] A variant form of Alaina is Alaine, although it can also be a variant form of the etymologically unrelated Elaine. [4]

In other languages

Popularity and use

The name was brought to England by Bretons who took part in the Norman Invasion in the mid-11th century. Forms of the name were in use much earlier in what is today Brittany, France. An early figure who bore the name was St Alan, a 5th-century bishop of Quimper. This saint became a cult figure in the Brittany during the Middle Ages. Another early bearer of the name was St Alan, a 6th-century Cornish saint, who has a church dedicated to his memory in Cornwall (for example see St Allen, a civil parish in Cornwall named after this saint). [17]

Today the use of the given name (and its variants) is due to its popularity among the Bretons who imported the name to England, to Cornwall, and later to Ireland. [4] [17] The Bretons formed a significant part of William, Duke of Normandy's army at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Later many Bretons were granted lands throughout William's freshly conquered kingdom. The most notable Breton Alan, Earl of Richmond, a cadet of the ducal house of Brittany, who was awarded with a large swath of lands in England - specifically lands in what is today Lincolnshire and East Anglia. The Breton character in many English counties can be traced through Breton personal names still in use in the 12th centuries. The name ranked 8th in popularity in Lincolnshire in the 12th century, where it was about even with Simon and more numerous than Henry. [33] Early occurrences of the name in British records include: Alanus in 1066 (in the Domesday Book ); and Alain in 1183. [33] The name became popular in Scotland in part through the Stewarts. [20] This family descends from Alan fitz Flaad, an Anglo-Breton knight, who possessed lands in what is modern day Shropshire, England.

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ The name appears within Adomnán's Vita Columbae as part of a patronym: "Colman Canis, filius Aileni". [21] This name is rendered into Old Irish as Colmán Cú mac Ailéni. Colmán belonged to the royal dynasty of Mugdorna; his brother, Mael Dúin, king of Mugdorna, died in 611. [22]

Related Research Articles

Matthew is an English language masculine given name. It ultimately derives from the Hebrew name "מַתִּתְיָהוּ‎" (Matityahu) which means "Gift of Yahwe".

Siobhán is a female name of Irish origin. The most common anglicisations are Siobhan, Shavawn,Shevaun and Shivaun. A now uncommon spelling variant is Siubhán.

Sorcha is a Gaelic feminine given name. It is common to both the Irish and Scottish Gaelic languages, and is derived from the Old Irish word sorchae, soirche meaning "brightness".

Diarmaid is a masculine given name in the Irish language, which has historically been anglicized as Jeremiah or Jeremy, names with which it is etymologically unrelated. The name Dimity might have been used as a feminine English equivalent of the name in Ireland. Earlier forms of the name include Diarmit and Diarmuit. Variations of the name include Diarmait and Diarmuid. Anglicised forms of the name include Dermody, Dermot and Dermod. Mac Diarmata, anglicised McDermott and similar, is the patronymic and surname derived from the personal name. The exact etymology of the name is debated. There is a possibility that the name is derived in part from dí, which means "without"; and either from airmit, which means "injunction", or airmait, which means "envy". The Irish name later spread to Scotland where in Scottish Gaelic the form of the name is Diarmad; Anglicised forms of this name include Diarmid and Dermid.

Seumas is a masculine given name in Scottish Gaelic and Scots, equivalent to the English James. The vocative case of the Scottish Gaelic Seumas is Sheumais, which has given form to the Anglicised form of this name, Hamish. In Irish, Seumas is the older form of the modern Séamas. Another earlier form of Séamas is Séamus, which is partially Anglicised as Seamus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aodh (given name)</span> Name list

Aodh is a masculine Irish and Scottish Gaelic given name, which was traditionally anglicized as Hugh. The name means "fire" and was the name of a god in Irish mythology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kennedy (given name)</span> Given name

Kennedy is a unisex given name in the English language. The name is an Anglicised form of a masculine given name in the Irish language.

Brennan and Braonán are masculine given names, and Brennan is also a feminine given name. The given name Brennan is considered to be mainly an Irish or Gaelic name. The Gaelic personal name Braonán is derived from the Irish braon, meaning "sorrow". In some cases the given name Brennan may be a contracted form of the given name Brendan.

Brendan is an Irish masculine given name in the English language. It is derived from the Gaelic name Breandán, which is in turn derived from the earlier Old Irish Brénainn. The Old Welsh breenhin is the root of the name, meaning prince or king. The mediaeval Latin form of the name, Brendanus, has also influenced the modern English and Irish forms. Variant spellings are Brendon and Brenden. In some cases it is possible that the given name Brandon is also a variant of Brendan.

Murchadh is masculine given name of Irish origin, used in the Irish and Scottish Gaelic languages.

Sorley and Somerled are masculine given names in the English language, Anglicizations of Scottish Gaelic Somhairle and Norse Sumarlidi.

Ailean is a masculine given name in the Scottish Gaelic language. It is the Scottish Gaelic equivalent of the name Alan, Allan in English. Alan is considered to be a name of Celtic origin, possibility derived from a word meaning "rock"; it was introduced to England by Breton followers of William the Conqueror, in the 11th century.

Ragnall, Raghnall, Raonall, and Raonull are masculine personal names or given names in several Gaelic languages.

Beaton is a Scottish surname which may have multiple origins.

Gráinne is a feminine given name in the Irish language. The name is of an uncertain origin, although it is possible that it may be connected with the word ghrian, meaning "the Sun". In Irish legend, Deorghrianne is the daughter of Fiachna, Son of Betach. The name is also borne by a famed character in Irish mythology—Gráinne, who was the daughter of Cormac mac Airt, a legendary High King of Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raven (given name)</span> Name list

Raven is a given name in the English language. While it may be given to boys and girls, it is more frequently a feminine name. In the United States of America the name has ranked among the top 1,000 names given to baby girls since 1977.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hrafn</span> Male given name

Hrafn is both a masculine byname, and personal name in Old Norse. The name translates into English as "raven". The Old English form of the name is *Hræfn. The name is paralleled by the English masculine given name Raven, which is derived from the word "raven". The feminine form of this name is Hrefna.

Don is a masculine given name in the Irish language and a short form of another masculine given name in the English language. The Irish name is derived from the Irish donn; the name can either mean "brown", or "chief", "noble". The Irish name is a variant spelling of Donn. The English name is unrelated to the Irish name; this name is a short form of the given name Donald or Donovan. Pet forms of this English name include: Donnie and Donny. It can also be a surname, also derived from "brown". It is a common name in the English language.

MacAlasdair is a masculine surname in Scottish Gaelic. The name translates into English as "son of Alasdair". The feminine form of the name is NicAlasdair, which translates into English as "daughter of Alasdair". These surnames originated as a patronyms, however they no longer refer to the actual name of the bearer's father. There are numerous Anglicised forms of MacAlasdair.

References

  1. ↑ Alan, Dictionary.com , retrieved 20 November 2010 which cited: Dictionary.com Unabridged, Random House
  2. ↑ "Aland History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms". House of Names. January 2000.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Bachrach, Bernard S. (1973). A History of the Alans in the West: From Their First Appearance in the Sources of Classical Antiquity Through the Early Middle Ages. University of Minnesota Press. p. 120-136. ISBN   978-1-4529-1215-8.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (2006), A Dictionary of First Names, Oxford Paperback Reference (2nd ed.), Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 6, ISBN   978-0-19-861060-1
  5. 1 2 Macbain, Alexander (1911), An etymological dictionary of the Gaelic language, Stirling: Eneas Mackay, p. 396
  6. 1 2 Bailey, H. W. (15 December 1984), Alans, Encyclopædia Iranica (www.iranica.com), retrieved 20 November 2010
  7. ↑ Foltz, Richard (30 December 2021). The Ossetes: Modern-Day Scythians of the Caucasus. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 61. ISBN   978-0-7556-1847-7.
  8. ↑ Waldman, Carl; Mason, Catherine (2006), Encyclopedia of European Peoples, New York: Facts on File, pp. 12–14, ISBN   0-8160-4964-5
  9. ↑ Alemany, Agustí, Sources on the Alans: A Critical Compilation, Handbook of Oriental Studies, section 8, vol. 5. Leiden, BRILL, 2000, p. 1ff.
  10. ↑ Schrijver, Peter, Studies in British Celtic Historical Phonology, Rodopi, 1995, p. 209ff
  11. ↑ Jackson, Kenneth H., A Historical Phonology of Breton, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, 1967, pp. 127-140.
  12. ↑ Koch, John, The Gododdin of Aneirin, Celtic Studies Publications, 1997, p. 9
  13. ↑ Kruta, Venceslas, Los celtas, EDAF, 1977, p. 195
  14. ↑ Fleuriot, Léon, Les origines de la Bretagne: l'émigration, Payot, 1982, p. 204
  15. ↑ Schrijver, Peter, Studies in British Celtic Historical Phonology, Rodopi, 1995, p. 78-79.
  16. ↑ Adams, Douglas Q., "Designations of the Cervidae in Proto-Indo-European", in: Journal of Indo-European Studies, vol 13, 1985, pp. 269-282.
  17. 1 2 3 Learn about the family history of your surname, Ancestry.com , retrieved 20 November 2010 which cited: Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN   0-19-508137-4 for the surname "Allen".
  18. 1 2 Ailín, Library Ireland (www.libraryireland.com), retrieved 22 November 2010 which is a transcription of: Woulfe, Patrick (1923), Irish Names and Surnames
  19. ↑ Ó hAilín, Library Ireland (www.libraryireland.com), retrieved 22 November 2010 which is a transcription of: Woulfe, Patrick (1923), Irish Names and Surnames
  20. 1 2 3 Black, George Fraser (1946), The Surnames of Scotland: Their Origin, Meaning, and History, New York: New York Public Library, p. 14
  21. ↑ Medieval Sourcebook: Adamnan: Life of St. Columba, [Latin Text: Book I and Book II, cc 1-30], Internet Medieval Source Book (www.fordham.edu)
  22. ↑ Sharpe, Richard, ed. (1995), Life of St Columba, Penguin classics, Penguin, p. 305, ISBN   978-0-14-044462-9
  23. ↑ Mark, Colin (2006), The Gaelic-English Dictionary, London: Routledge, p. 32, ISBN   0-203-22259-8
  24. ↑ Learner's English-Irish Dictionary, Dublin: Educational Company of Ireland, Ltd, c. 1900, p. 8
  25. ↑ Harrison, Henry (1996), Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary (Reprint ed.), Genealogical Publishing Company, p. 6, ISBN   978-0-8063-0171-6
  26. ↑ Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (2006), A Dictionary of First Names, Oxford Paperback Reference (2nd ed.), Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 10, ISBN   978-0-19-861060-1
  27. ↑ Lambert, Pierre-Yves, La langue gauloise, Editions Errance, 1994, p. 42.
  28. ↑ Delamarre, Xavier, Dictionnaire de la langue galoise, 2nd ed., Editions Errance, 2003, p. 37.
  29. ↑ Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (2006), A Dictionary of First Names, Oxford Paperback Reference (2nd ed.), Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 12, 424, ISBN   978-0-19-861060-1
  30. ↑ Al, Dictionary.com , retrieved 20 November 2010 which cited: Dictionary.com Unabridged, Random House
  31. ↑ Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (2006), A Dictionary of First Names, Oxford Paperback Reference (2nd ed.), Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 302, ISBN   978-0-19-861060-1
  32. ↑ Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (2006), A Dictionary of First Names, Oxford Paperback Reference (2nd ed.), Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 341, ISBN   978-0-19-861060-1
  33. 1 2 3 4 Reaney, Percy Hilde; Wilson, Richard Middlewood (2006), A Dictionary of English Surnames (3rd ed.), London: Routledge, pp. 40–41, ISBN   0-203-99355-1
  34. ↑ Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (2006), A Dictionary of First Names, Oxford Paperback Reference (2nd ed.), Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 399, ISBN   978-0-19-861060-1
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.