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The short answer
Allen is a masculine name used in English. Behind the Name describes it this way: "Variant of Alan, or from a surname that was derived from this same name. A famous bearer of this name was Allen Ginsberg (1926-1997), an American beat poet." It ranked #578 for boys in the United States in 2025.
Meaning and etymology
According to Behind the Name, variant of Alan, or from a surname that was derived from this same name. A famous bearer of this name was Allen Ginsberg (1926-1997), an American beat poet. The entry lists its usage as English.
Editorial confidence: likely
Popularity
Allen ranked #578 for boys in the United States in 2025. The figure comes from the Social Security Administration's national file for that year.
| Region | Year | Rank | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2025 | #578 | ssa-2025 |
If you like this name
Names that Behind the Name files under the same origin (English) and that sit near Allen in the 2025 American rankings.
Similar by origin
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Allen mean?
Behind the Name does not give Allen a one-word meaning. It describes the name as follows: variant of Alan, or from a surname that was.
Is Allen a popular name?
Allen ranked #578 for boys in the United States in 2025. (Social Security Administration data).
Is Allen a boy's or a girl's name?
In the 2025 SSA data Allen appears in the boys' list; Behind the Name labels it masculine.
Sources
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Allen — supports meaning, usage, pronunciation, variants.
- U.S. Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names — national data, year of birth 2025 — supports popularity.
