How popular is the baby name Alan in the United States right now? How popular was it historically? Use the popularity graph and data table below to find out! Plus, see all the blog posts that mention the name Alan.

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Popularity of the baby name Alan


Posts that mention the name Alan

Popular baby names in Puerto Rico, 2023

Flag of Puerto Rico
Flag of Puerto Rico

The U.S. territory of Puerto Rico welcomes roughly 19,000 babies per year.

Last year, the most popular baby names in Puerto Rico were Valentina and Thiago.

Here are Puerto Rico’s top 50 girl names and top 50+ boy names of 2023:

Girl names

  1. Valentina, 177 baby girls
  2. Aurora, 113 (tie)
  3. Emma, 113 (tie)
  4. Victoria, 100
  5. Catalina, 94 (tie)
  6. Luna, 94 (tie)
  7. Amaia, 89 (tie)
  8. Gianna, 89 (tie)
  9. Isabella, 88
  10. Alaia, 82
  11. Mia, 80
  12. Mikaela, 78
  13. Ainara, 75 (tie)
  14. Amira, 75 (tie)
  15. Milena, 70
  16. Amalia, 68
  17. Amanda, 66
  18. Antonella, 65
  19. Camila, 62
  20. Amelia, 61
  21. Elena, 57 (tie)
  22. Leah, 57 (tie)
  23. Paula, 56
  24. Sofia, 54
  25. Kamila, 50
  26. Gia, 47
  27. Stella, 42
  28. Mila, 41
  29. Ainhoa, 40
  30. Sophia, 39
  31. Adara, 38
  32. Lia, 36
  33. Alana, 35
  34. Amirah, 32 (4-way tie)
  35. Nahia, 32 (4-way tie)
  36. Nahiara, 32 (4-way tie)
  37. Valeria, 32 (4-way tie)
  38. Andrea, 31
  39. Paulette, 30
  40. Alanna, 29 (tie)
  41. Brianna, 29 (tie)
  42. Adhara, 28 (4-way tie)
  43. Amahia, 28 (4-way tie)
  44. Ana, 28 (4-way tie)
  45. Gabriela, 28 (4-way tie)
  46. Paulina, 27
  47. Amaya, 25 (4-way tie)
  48. Arlet, 25 (4-way tie)
  49. Katalina, 25 (4-way tie)
  50. Mariana, 25 (4-way tie)

Boy names

  1. Thiago, 290 baby boys
  2. Liam, 264
  3. Noah, 201
  4. Mateo, 156
  5. Sebastian, 146
  6. Lucas, 140
  7. Dylan, 119
  8. Ian, 115
  9. Matias, 94
  10. Adrian, 89 (tie)
  11. Elian, 89 (tie)
  12. Jayden, 84
  13. Mauro, 79
  14. Angel, 77
  15. Milan, 76
  16. Ethan, 74
  17. Nicolas, 70
  18. Jacob, 67
  19. Fabian, 66
  20. Diego, 65
  21. Elias, 63
  22. Gael, 59
  23. Aaron, 56
  24. Isaac, 51
  25. Eithan, 50 (tie)
  26. Eliam, 50 (tie)
  27. Gian, 49
  28. Enzo, 48
  29. Evan, 45 (tie)
  30. Luis, 45 (tie)
  31. Isaias, 44 (tie)
  32. Matteo, 44 (tie)
  33. Daniel, 42
  34. Julian, 40
  35. Caleb, 37
  36. Eiden, 36 (3-way tie)
  37. Gabriel, 36 (3-way tie)
  38. Matthew, 36 (3-way tie)
  39. Carlos, 34 (tie)
  40. Santiago, 34 (tie)
  41. Aiden, 33 (3-way tie)
  42. Damian, 33 (3-way tie)
  43. Dario, 33 (3-way tie)
  44. Alejandro, 32 (tie)
  45. Amir, 32 (tie)
  46. Alan, 30
  47. Alvaro, 29 (3-way tie)
  48. Keyden, 29 (3-way tie)
  49. Ryan, 29 (3-way tie)
  50. Iker, 28 (3-way tie)
  51. Jose, 28 (3-way tie)
  52. Zaid, 28 (3-way tie)

Eiden on the boys’ list caught my attention, as Eiden was also mentioned in the SSA’s press release this year. It’s on the rise both in the U.S. and in Puerto Rico right now.

The person who wrote the press release theorized that the rise of Eiden was being fueled by Wisconsin-based influencer Wyatt Eiden. But the name’s increasing popularity in Puerto Rico — plus the fact that 40% of Eiden’s U.S. usage occurred in four states with large Spanish-speaking populations (TX, CA, NY, and FL) — makes me think the name is being used primarily among U.S.-based Latin Americans (who are probably not watching Wyatt Eiden’s English-language interview/trivia videos on TikTok).

(And now I’m thinking of a recent comment by alex, who noticed that “names that have seen some use in Caribbean Latin America for 20+ years” are starting to pop up in the U.S. data, and wondered if Venezuelan immigration might have something to do with it…)

In 2022, the top names in Puerto Rico were Valentina and Liam.

Finally, what were the most popular baby names in all the other U.S. territories (American Samoa, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Northern Mariana Islands) combined last year? Olivia and Elijah.

Sources: Popular Names by Territory – SSA, State and Territorial Data – National Center for Health Statistics – CDC

Image: Adapted from Flag of Puerto Rico (public domain)

Girl names that end with an S-sound

Girl names that end with an S-sound

In the U.S., most of the names given to baby girls end with a vowel sound. And many of the remaining names end with an N-sound.

So, what about girl names that end with other sounds?

Below is a selection of girl names that end with an S-sound, regardless of last letter. The names are ordered by current popularity.

Grace
From the English vocabulary word. Here’s the popularity graph for Grace.

Genesis
An Ancient Greek word meaning “origin, creation.” Here’s the popularity graph for Genesis.

Iris
The Ancient Greek word for “rainbow,” as well as an ancient Greek goddess (the personification of the rainbow) and a type of flower (that is often purple). Here’s the popularity graph for Iris.

Reese
An Anglicized form of the Welsh name Rhys, meaning “ardor.” Here’s the popularity graph for Reese.

Frances
The feminine form of Francis, which is derived from the late Roman name Franciscus, meaning “Frenchman.” Here’s the popularity graph for Frances.

Paris
From the capital of France. Here’s the popularity graph for Paris.

Florence
From the late Roman name Florentia, meaning “blooming.” Here’s the popularity graph for Florence.

Dallas
From either the Scottish surname (derived from a place name meaning “meadow dwelling”) or the English surname (derived from a place name meaning “valley house”). Here’s the popularity graph for Dallas.

Mavis
From the type of bird. Here’s the popularity graph for Mavis.

Ellis
From the English surname, which is derived from the name Elias. Here’s the popularity graph for Ellis.

Promise
From the English vocabulary word. Here’s the popularity graph for Promise.

Anaïs
May be a French variant of the name of the Iranian goddess Anahita. Here’s the popularity graph for Anaïs.

Cadence
From the English vocabulary word. Here’s the popularity graph for Cadence.

Justice
From the English vocabulary word. Here’s the popularity graph for Justice.

Artemis
From the name of the ancient Greek goddess Artemis. Here’s the popularity graph for Artemis.

Amaris
Might be based on Amaro, the name of a legendary 13th-century Catholic saint. Here’s the popularity graph for Amaris.

Princess
The feminine form of the royal title prince. Here’s the popularity graph for Princess.

Joyce
From an Old Breton word meaning “prince, ruler, lord.” Here’s the popularity graph for Joyce.

Essence
From the English vocabulary word. Here’s the popularity graph for Essence.

Memphis
From the name of the ancient Egyptian city Men-nefer. Here’s the popularity graph for Memphis.

Agnes
From the Ancient Greek word for “chaste.” Here’s the popularity graph for Agnes.

Patience
From the English vocabulary word. Here’s the popularity graph for Patience.

Venus
From the name of the Roman goddess Venus. Here’s the popularity graph for Venus.

Milagros
A Spanish word meaning “miracles” (from the Marian title La Virgen de los Milagros). Here’s the popularity graph for Milagros.

Damaris
May be derived from an Ancient Greek word meaning “calf.” Here’s the popularity graph for Damaris.

Eris
From the name of the ancient Greek goddess Eris. Here’s the popularity graph for Eris.

Hollis
From the English surname, which originally referred to a person who lived by holly trees. Here’s the popularity graph for Hollis.

Temperance
From the English vocabulary word. Here’s the popularity graph for Temperance.

Daenerys
Invented by writer George R. R. Martin for a character in the high fantasy book series A Song of Ice and Fire (upon which the TV series Game of Thrones was based). Here’s the popularity graph for Daenerys.

Lois
An Ancient Greek name of unknown meaning. Here’s the popularity graph for Lois.

Constance
From the English vocabulary word. Here’s the popularity graph for Constance.

Empress
The feminine form of the royal title emperor. Here’s the popularity graph for Empress.

Lotus
From the type of flower. Here’s the popularity graph for Lotus.

Isis
From the name of the ancient Egyptian goddess Isis. Here’s the popularity graph for Isis.

Eunice
From an Ancient Greek name made up of elements meaning “good” and “victory.” Here’s the popularity graph for Eunice.

Karis
May be based on the Welsh name Carys or the Ancient Greek name Charis. Here’s the popularity graph for Karis.

Yehudis
From the Hebrew name Yehudit, meaning “Jewish woman.” Here’s the popularity graph for Yehudis.

Inés
A Spanish form of the name Agnes. Here’s the popularity graph for Inés.

Alanis
A feminine form of Alan. Here’s the popularity graph for Alanis.

Tess
A nickname for Theresa. Here’s the popularity graph for Tess.

Prudence
From the English vocabulary word. Here’s the popularity graph for Prudence.

Janice
Based on Jane, which can be traced back to a (masculine) Hebrew name meaning “Yahweh is gracious.” Here’s the popularity graph for Janice.

Doris
An Ancient Greek name meaning “Dorian woman.” Here’s the popularity graph for Doris.

Precious
From the English vocabulary word. Here’s the popularity graph for Precious.

Dolores
A Spanish word meaning “sorrows” (from the Marian title La Virgen de los Dolores). Here’s the popularity graph for Dolores.

Kelis
Popularized by singer Kelis. Here’s the popularity graph for the name Kelis.

Bryce
Might be based on the Gaulish name Briccus, meaning “speckled.” Here’s the popularity graph for Bryce.

Amaryllis
From the type of flower. Here’s the popularity graph for Amaryllis.

Candace
From Kandake, the title of the queen in the ancient Kingdom of Kush (in northeastern Africa). Here’s the popularity graph for Candace.

Gladys
Based on the Welsh name Gwladus (which belonged to a legendary Welsh saint). Here’s the popularity graph for Gladys.

Less-common girl names that end with an S-sound include Clarice, Bliss, Lamees, Solstice, Maris, Briseis, and Cypress.

Which of the above do you like most? What others can you think of?

P.S. Here are lists of girl names that end with D-, K-, L-, M-, R-, T-, V-, and Z-sounds.

Sources:

  • SSA
  • Behind the Name
  • Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources: Jodocus & Brice
  • Hanks, Patrick, Kate Hardcastle and Flavia Hodges. (Eds.) A Dictionary of First Names. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006.
  • Hanks, Patrick. (Ed.) Dictionary of American Family Names. 2nd ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2022.

Popular baby names in Poland, 2023

Flag of Poland
Flag of Poland

Last year, the European country of Poland welcomed approximately 272,000 babies.

What were the most popular names among all these babies? Zofia and Nikodem.

Here are Poland’s top 50 girl names and top 50 boy names of 2023:

Girl names

  1. Zofia, 4,968 baby girls
  2. Zuzanna, 4,800
  3. Laura, 4,602
  4. Hanna, 4,565
  5. Maja, 4,461
  6. Julia, 4,254
  7. Oliwia, 3,846
  8. Pola, 3,692
  9. Alicja, 3,593
  10. Maria, 3,137
  11. Lena, 2,966
  12. Antonina, 2,912
  13. Emilia, 2,785
  14. Amelia, 2,759
  15. Klara, 2,660
  16. Michalina, 2,644
  17. Iga, 2,563
  18. Liliana, 2,561
  19. Wiktoria, 2,531
  20. Helena, 2,511
  21. Marcelina, 2,351
  22. Gabriela, 1,883
  23. Aleksandra, 1,878
  24. Nela, 1,768
  25. Kornelia, 1,761
  26. Lucja, 1,732
  27. Blanka, 1,636
  28. Anna, 1,581
  29. Nadia, 1,565
  30. Natalia, 1,441
  31. Lilianna, 1,422
  32. Jagoda, 1,410
  33. Mia, 1,232
  34. Milena, 1,148
  35. Róza, 1,132
  36. Kaja, 1,127
  37. Rozalia, 1,103
  38. Anastazja, 1,063
  39. Nina, 1,001
  40. Aniela, 984
  41. Weronika, 959
  42. Sara, 937
  43. Nikola, 917
  44. Barbara, 892
  45. Aurelia, 880
  46. Matylda, 845
  47. Liwia, 779
  48. Karolina, 752
  49. Martyna, 712
  50. Agata, 656

Boy names

  1. Nikodem, 6,532 baby boys
  2. Antoni, 5,663
  3. Jan, 5,638
  4. Aleksander, 5,625
  5. Franciszek, 4,965
  6. Leon, 4,916
  7. Jakub, 4,474
  8. Ignacy, 4,166
  9. Mikolaj, 4,081
  10. Stanislaw, 3,874
  11. Filip, 3,506
  12. Szymon, 3,269
  13. Wojciech, 3,078
  14. Adam, 2,889
  15. Tymon, 2,782
  16. Marcel, 2,759
  17. Kacper, 2,684
  18. Maksymilian, 2,655
  19. Oliwier, 2,578
  20. Wiktor, 2,347
  21. Michal, 2,183
  22. Igor, 1,899
  23. Julian, 1,855 (tie)
  24. Milosz, 1,855 (tie)
  25. Tymoteusz, 1,724 (tie)
  26. Gabriel, 1,724 (tie)
  27. Oskar, 1,683
  28. Piotr, 1,630
  29. Dawid, 1,276
  30. Bruno, 1,186
  31. Hubert, 1,159
  32. Krzysztof, 1,069
  33. Natan, 1,065
  34. Bartosz, 1,053
  35. Dominik, 1,022
  36. Mateusz, 900
  37. Cezary, 886
  38. Henryk, 880
  39. Alan, 869
  40. Karol, 866
  41. Tadeusz, 861
  42. Fabian, 837
  43. Tomasz, 830
  44. Maciej, 783
  45. Teodor, 761
  46. Ksawery, 752
  47. Milan, 733
  48. Artur, 722
  49. Leo, 669
  50. Pawel, 640

(Because L-with-a-stroke and Z-with-an-overdot don’t render properly on my site, you’ll have to imagine they exist in several of the above: the girl names Lucja and Róza, and the boy names Mikolaj, Stanislaw, Michal, Milosz, and Pawel.)

Poland’s data goes all the way down to names with just two instances of usage, so here’s a sampling of the rare baby names at the opposite end of the spectrum:

Rare girl namesRare boy names
Aryna, Burla, Christine, Dziyana, Esti, Flavia, Goja, Hafsa, Iwanna, Jutrzenka, Kleopatra, Latika, Miszel, Nasturcja, Oryslava, Polianna, Raya, Svitlana, Tinatin, Ursula, Vienna, Wiera, Yevahelina, ZoryanaArseniusz, Bozydar, Czarek, Dachi, Ege, Ferdinand, Gabrielius, Hleb, Ioannis, Joszko, Kerem, Lotar, Maciek, Nicolai, Oktawiusz, Przemek, Reece, Szarbel, Tymek, Umut, Vitali, Wolfgang, Yanis, Zawisza

On the girls’ side: Jutrzenka means “dawn” in Polish, and Nasturcja is the Polish word for nasturtium (a type of flower).

On the boys’ side: Hleb (Belarusian) comes from Gleb (Russian), which comes from Guðleifr (Old Norse: “god” + “heir”), and Zawisza can be traced back to a Slavic word meaning “envy.”

Finally, here are Poland’s 2022 rankings, if you’d like to compare last year to the year before.

Sources: Imiona nadawane dzieciom w Polsce – Otwarte Dane, Births drop to new postwar low in Poland as population falls almost 1 million in a decade – Notes from Poland, Behind the Name

Image: Adapted from Flag of Poland (public domain)

What popularized the baby name Arsenio in the late 1980s?

Arsenio Hall hosting "The Arsenio Hall Show" (1989-1994)
Arsenio Hall

The name Arsenio, which has been appearing in the U.S. baby name data since the 1910s, shot into the top 1,000 in 1989 and and stayed there for three years in a row:

  • 1992: 47 baby boys named Arsenio
  • 1991: 45 baby boys named Arsenio
  • 1990: 188 baby boys named Arsenio [rank: 743rd]
  • 1989: 397 baby boys named Arsenio [rank: 479th]
  • 1988: 124 baby boys named Arsenio [rank: 854th]
  • 1987: 83 baby boys named Arsenio
  • 1986: 21 baby boys named Arsenio

Here’s a visual:

Graph of the usage of the baby name Arsenio in the U.S. since 1880
Usage of the baby name Arsenio

The variant forms Aresenio, Arsenial, Arseno, and Marsenio also popped up for the first and only time in 1989.

What caused this sudden interest in the name Arsenio?

Comedian and actor Arsenio Hall.

In 1987, he became the first African-American to host a late-night talk show with his 13-week stint on The Late Show. (It was originally called The Late Show with Joan Rivers, but, after Rivers was fired, the show was re-titled and featured a series of guest hosts.)

Audiences would have noticed him next in the hit movie Coming to America (1988), which starred Hall’s longtime friend Eddie Murphy.

Several months later, in January of 1989, he kicked off The Arsenio Hall Show — a hip, energetic alternative (“woof, woof, woof!”) to the other late-night talk shows of the era.

Notably, Hall’s show was one of the few on mainstream television to showcase hip-hop culture. Musical guests included N.W.A, Ice-T, Tupac Shakur, LL Cool J, Bell Biv DeVoe, Heavy D, Black Sheep, Kwamé, Tone Loc, A Tribe Called Quest, and Leaders of the New School. He also spotlighted R&B acts like Bobby Brown, En Vogue, New Edition, Troop, Jodeci, and Mariah Carey.

The Arsenio Hall Show was a breakout success. It was particularly popular with young urban audiences. Despite this, ratings began to slip in late 1993 (largely due to scheduling issues) and the show was cancelled in May of 1994.

So where does the name Arsenio come from? It’s a form of the ancient Greek name Arsenios, which is based on the ancient Greek word arsen, meaning “masculine, virile.”

What are your thoughts on the name Arsenio?

P.S. The name’s slight rise in 1983 and 1984 was likely due to Arsenio Hall’s time as a sidekick on an earlier late-night show, Thicke of the Night (1983-1984), which was hosted by Alan Thicke.

Sources:

Image: Screenshot of The Arsenio Hall Show