Alana
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Meaning
possibly associated with Hawaiian alana, "awakening, rising", or the distinct word ʻālana, "an offering"; also a feminine form of Alan, whose meaning is uncertain
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The story
Alana is a feminine form of Alan, a name with an old Breton history and an uncertain original meaning. Alan was used in Brittany by the sixth century, then reached England with Breton settlers after the Norman Conquest. Those early dates belong to Alan; they do not tell us when the feminine Alana first appeared. Lana is one documented short form.
There are also possible Hawaiian readings, but they need to be kept separate. The Hawaiian word alana means "awakening" or "rising". A differently marked word, ʻālana, means "an offering". The marks distinguish the words, and their resemblance to the name does not make every Alana a name of Hawaiian origin.
The spelling has been used for girls in American records since at least the 1930s and became much more common in later decades. In Brazil, one bearer is Alana Maldonado, who practised judo from childhood before entering Paralympic competition. Her victory in Tokyo made her the first Brazilian woman to win Paralympic judo gold. She won gold again in Paris in 2024.
How popular is Alana around the world?
In the United States, 9,922 babies were named Alana between 2020 and 2025. In Puerto Rico, 32 babies were named Alana in 2025, and 1,633 have carried the name since 1998.
Alana is on the official records of the United States, Puerto Rico, Spain, Brazil, Mexico City, Argentina, South Australia, Chile, England and Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Canada, France, Scotland, Montevideo, Austria and Poland.
Alana crosses languages: it is in the latest top 300 of an English-speaking birth record, of a Spanish-speaking one and of Brazil’s 2022 census, which counts people of every age. The full lists: English and Spanish · English and Portuguese · Spanish and Portuguese
United States
1 in 2,200
In the United States, 9,922 babies were named Alana between 2020 and 2025.
Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Alana peaked in the 2010s and the 2020s in nearly equal measure.
Births with a Social Security record. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration
Puerto Rico
1 in 560
In Puerto Rico, 32 babies were named Alana in 2025, and 1,633 have carried the name since 1998.
share of that year’s births on record
First given name only, from Social Security records of births in Puerto Rico; any name-sex-year under 5 births is withheld at source. Shares divide by the Puerto Rico Demographic Registry’s count of births on the island; the 2025 count is provisional. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, territory name file (Puerto Rico)
Spain
#84 · 2024
In Spain, 1,745 residents are named Alana, ranked 1,039th among women, with a mean age of 7.9 years.
In Spain, Alana was the 84th most common name among girls born in 2024.
Residents of Spain on 1 January 2025. Spain publishes how old a name’s living bearers are, not a birth series, so there is no year chart. Source: INE (Spain), Censo de Población anual, 1 January 2025
Brazil
1 in 1,700
At the 2022 census, 121,124 people in Brazil were named Alana, the 268th most common name, with a median age of 12.
Among people named Alana living in Brazil at the 2022 census, more were born in the 2010s than in any other decade.
people alive at the 2022 census, by decade of birth
The census also counted 21,850 born between 2020 and August 2022, too recent a span to chart. People alive and resident in Brazil at the 2022 census, a living-population count, not births; names under 20 are withheld at source. Source: IBGE, Censo Demográfico 2022
Mexico City City
1 in 2,000
In Mexico City, there were 60 registrations of Alana in 2022.
share of that year’s registrations in the city
Civil-registry acts in Mexico City by registration year. Counts are lower bounds (names under 6 in a month and borough are removed at source) and count name-instances, not people; compound names are split, so “Maria Jose” counts under each part. 2023 (2 registrations through 3 Mar) is excluded as partial. Source: Registro Civil of Mexico City, open data portal, registered given names 2000-2023
Argentina
1 in 2,000
In Argentina, 332 newborns were given the name Alana in 2024.
share of that year’s name registrations
Given-name components of births in Argentina 2012–2024; national cells are lower bounds and no sex split is published. Source: RENAPER (Argentina), Dirección Nacional de Población, given names 2012-2024
South Australia
1 in 2,0002017
In South Australia, 9 girls were registered as Alana in 2017.
share of that year’s name registrations
Births registered in South Australia (not all of Australia) by first name and year of registration, 1944–2017, from the state’s Births, Deaths and Marriages registry, which publishes every name down to a single birth in capitals; a spelling its export repeats inside a year is counted once, and from 2018 only a top 100 is published, so the series ends at 2017. Source: Consumer and Business Services (South Australia), popular baby names
Chile
1 in 2,300
In Chile, 78 girls were registered as Alana in 2021, every accent spelling counted together.
share of that year’s name registrations
First-name registrations with Chile’s civil registry by year of registration, 1920–2021, counted as spelling groups (Sofía, Sofia and Sofìa are one name, shown with its most-registered spelling); the registry withholds nothing, nametree keeps the groups that reached 5 registrations in some year, and shares divide by every registration of the year. Source: Servicio de Registro Civil e Identificación (Chile) via the guaguas package, first-name registrations 1920-2021
England and Wales
1 in 3,100
In England and Wales, 190 girls named Alana were born in 2025, the 244th most common name among girls that year.
share of that year’s name registrations
Birth registrations in England and Wales (not the whole UK); exact spellings are counted separately, and any spelling under 3 in a year is withheld at source. Source: Office for National Statistics, baby names in England and Wales
Ireland
1 in 3,200
In Ireland, 17 girls named Alana were born in 2025, the 247th most common name among girls that year.
share of that year’s name registrations
Exact registered spellings from Irish vital statistics; any name under 3 in a year is withheld at source, and accented spellings (fadas) are recorded reliably only from 2018. Source: Central Statistics Office (Ireland), Irish babies' names
New Zealand
1 in 4,800
In New Zealand, 12 girls named Alana were registered in 2025.
share of that year’s name registrations
First given names from New Zealand birth registrations, grouped by registration year; any name under 10 in a year is excluded at source. Shares divide by Stats NZ’s count of births registered to mothers living in New Zealand, under 1% below the registry’s own count. Source: Department of Internal Affairs (New Zealand), baby name popularity over time
Canada
1 in 5,500
In Canada, 67 girls named Alana were born in 2024, the 441st most common name among girls that year.
share of that year’s name registrations
First given names from provincial and territorial vital statistics across Canada; any name-sex-year under 5 is excluded at source, and small Quebec counts carry a randomized adjustment made at source. Shares divide by Statistics Canada’s count of live births for the year; the 2024 count is preliminary. Source: Statistics Canada, first names at birth (table 17-10-0147-01)
France
1 in 6,100
In France, about 105 girls named Alana were born in 2025, the 475th most common name among girls that year.
share of that year’s births on record
Births in France by year of birth, from INSEE’s fichier des prénoms (1900–2025; Mayotte from 2012); exact spellings count separately (Léo and Leo are different names), any spelling under 3 in a year and sex is withheld at source, every count is rounded to the nearest 5 at source, and nametree keeps the spellings that reached 20 in some year. Shares divide by INSEE’s count of births in France from 1957, and before that by the file’s own total for the year; INSEE says the file is not complete before 1946. Source: Insee, fichier des prénoms (last updated 2026-07-16)
Scotland
1 in 6,500
In Scotland, 7 girls named Alana were registered in 2024, the 431st most common name among girls that year.
share of that year’s name registrations
Births registered in Scotland; different spellings count separately but accents are merged at source, and any spelling under 3 in total is suppressed. Source: National Records of Scotland, babies' first names
Montevideo City
1 in 25,0002011
In Montevideo, 1 girl named Alana was born in 2011, spelling variants counted together.
The count never rose above 4 in a year, too few to chart.
Births in the department of Montevideo (not all of Uruguay) by first name and year of birth, 1940–2011, from the city’s civil registry, which writes names in capitals, almost always without accents; counted as spelling groups (accent and punctuation variants merged), nothing is withheld at source, and 2012 is excluded as a partial year. Source: Servicio de Registro Civil, Intendencia de Montevideo, Partidas de Registro Civil de Montevideo (Licencia de Datos Abiertos - Uruguay); 2012 dropped as partial
Austria
1 in 76,000
In Austria, 1 girl named Alana was born in 2025, ranked 1,875th among girls that year, spellings that differ only by special characters counted together.
The count never rose above 6 in a year, too few to chart.
Live births in Austria by year of birth, 1984–2025, from Statistik Austria’s first-name statistics; spellings that differ only by special characters are counted together (umlauts stay apart), every name down to a single birth is published, and the count covers babies with Austrian citizenship only until 2009, every baby from 2010, and from 2015 also births abroad to mothers living in Austria. Shares divide by Statistik Austria’s count of live births from 2010, and before that by the file’s own total for the year. Source: Statistik Austria - data.statistik.gv.at (OGDEXT_VORNAMEN_1, updated 2026-07-09)
Poland
1 in 82,000
In Poland, 3 girls named Alana were born in 2025, the 583rd most common name among girls that year.
The count never rose above 7 in a year, too few to chart.
First names given to children born in Poland by year of birth, 2000–2025, from the PESEL population register (Ministry of Digital Affairs); exact spellings count separately (Łukasz and Lukasz are different names), names given fewer than 5 times in a year were left off the list through 2012 and fewer than 2 times from 2013, and the register also counts children born abroad, so its yearly sums run above Poland’s live births. Shares divide by the register’s own published total for the year, never by births. Source: Ministry of Digital Affairs, PESEL register (dane.gov.pl)
New South Wales
outside the top 100
Alana is not in the 2025 top 100 for New South Wales.
share of that year’s top-100 registrations
New South Wales (not all of Australia) publishes only each year’s 100 most popular names per sex, so a missing year means below that top 100, not rare. Source: NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, popular baby names
Not on Norway’s list: Statistics Norway lists only first names carried by 200 or more living people, so rarer names are not shown.
When you meet Alana
Most people given the name Alana in the United States are teenagers or young adults today.
Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.
Keep exploring
The Alana deep dive
Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Alana truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Alana fits with your family’s names and surname.
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