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.
Don (given name) English language. Don (given name) 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". 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