Alan (given name) 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"), 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. The short form of "Alan" is "Al". This name is a short form of numerous other etymologically unrelated names that begin with this syllable.
Given name (e.g. 'Ann Smith "née" Jones' or 'Adam Smith "né" Jones'). Because they are terms adopted into English from French, they do not have to be italicized, but often are. Given name A given name (also known as a first name, forename or Christian name) is a part of a person's personal name. It identifies a specific person, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a family or clan) who have a common surname. The term "given name" refers to the fact that the name usually is bestowed upon a person, normally to a child by