[Tidus2791]

My brother is also Michael.

ALAN

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English, Scottish, Breton

Pronounced: AL-an [key]
The meaning of this name is not known for certain, though it possibly means either "rock" or "handsome" in Breton. Alternatively, it may derive from the tribal name of the Alans, an Iranian people who migrated into Europe in the 4th and 5th centuries. This was the name of several dukes of Brittany, and was introduced to England by Bretons after the Norman invasion. Famous modern bearers include Alan Shepard, the first American in space and the fifth man to walk on the moon, and Alan Turing, a British mathematician and computer scientist.

English and Scottish: of Celtic origin and uncertain derivation (possibly a diminutive of a word meaning “rock”). It was introduced into England by Breton followers of William the Conqueror, most notably Alan, Earl of Brittany, who was rewarded for his services with vast estates in the newly conquered kingdom.

In Britain the variants Allan and Allen are considerably less frequent, and generally represent transferred uses of surname forms, whereas in America all three forms of the name are approximately equally common. See also Alun.

Cognates: Scottish Gaelic: Ailean. French: Alain.