Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 1988

Alain

Meaning A male given name from French, equivalent to English Alan Gender Boy Rank 2025 #2,836 Trend ↓ Falling 13%

A male given name from French, equivalent to English Alan.

Rank 2025
#2,836
among boys · ↑383 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
44
named Alain · +19% vs 2024
How common
1 in 38,820
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1988
92 babies
All-time total
3,986
#2,100 all-time among boys
First recorded
1942
in Social Security records

Alain popularity over time

3,986 babies have been named Alain since 1942, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.020.040.060.0818801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – – – –
1890s – – – – – –
1900s – – – – – –
1910s – – – – – –
1920s – – – – – –
1930s – – – – – –
1940s – 53 53 5 – #2,219
1950s – 183 183 18 +245% #1,588
1960s – 358 358 36 +96% #1,088
1970s 6 457 463 46 +29% #1,019
1980s – 738 738 74 +59% #998
1990s – 676 676 68 -8% #1,255
2000s – 656 656 66 -3% #1,562
2010s – 583 583 58 -11% #1,903
2020s (to 2025) – 276 276 46 -21% #2,579

Where Alain is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 43 0.03 outside top 500
2027 42 0.02 outside top 500
2028 41 0.02 outside top 500
2029 40 0.02 outside top 500
2030 40 0.02 outside top 500

Where Alain is most popular

Boys named Alain per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.026 per 1,000. Strongest in Florida, Texas, and Kentucky.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Alain born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Boys 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
Florida 41 0.087 +228%
Texas 48 0.054 +106%
Kentucky 5 0.050 +89%
California 26 0.028 +8%
Alaska – – –
Alabama – – –
Arkansas – – –
Arizona – – –
Colorado – – –
Connecticut – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Georgia – – –
Hawaii – – –
Iowa – – –
Idaho – – –
Illinois – – –
Indiana – – –
Kansas – – –
Louisiana – – –
Massachusetts – – –
Maryland – – –
Maine – – –
Michigan – – –
Minnesota – – –
Missouri – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Carolina – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Jersey – – –
New Mexico – – –
Nevada – – –
New York – – –
Ohio – – –
Oklahoma – – –
Oregon – – –
Pennsylvania – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Carolina – – –
South Dakota – – –
Tennessee – – –
Utah – – –
Virginia – – –
Vermont – – –
Washington – – –
Wisconsin – – –
West Virginia – – –
Wyoming – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Alain

Alain is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #2,836 in 2025 with 44 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1942, 3,986 American babies have been named Alain. Its peak came in 1988, when 92 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1980s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Alain stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Alain?

The median living Alain is about 32 years old; half are between 17 and 45. An estimated 3,800 people named Alain are alive in the United States today.

median 32 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Alain year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 – – 44 #2,836
2024 – – 37 #3,219
2023 – – 51 #2,579
2022 – – 49 #2,675
2021 – – 47 #2,695
2020 – – 48 #2,620
2019 – – 49 #2,627
2018 – – 61 #2,232
2017 – – 55 #2,347
2016 – – 55 #2,366
2015 – – 57 #2,301
2014 – – 51 #2,462
2013 – – 74 #1,903
2012 – – 64 #2,104
2011 – – 63 #2,105
2010 – – 54 #2,355
2009 – – 57 #2,289
2008 – – 61 #2,186
2007 – – 68 #2,036
2006 – – 73 #1,856
2005 – – 72 #1,802
2004 – – 60 #1,990
2003 – – 81 #1,562
2002 – – 63 #1,817
2001 – – 67 #1,711
2000 – – 54 #1,927
1995 – – 69 #1,430
1990 – – 77 #1,259
1985 – – 83 #998
1980 – – 49 #1,343
1975 – – 50 #1,191
1970 – – 43 #1,261
1965 – – 32 #1,360
1960 – – 29 #1,486
1955 – – 15 #2,049
1950 – – 19 #1,701
1945 – – – –
1940 – – – –
1935 – – – –
1930 – – – –
1925 – – – –
1920 – – – –
1915 – – – –
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Alain

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Alain Delon Alain Delon French actor (1935–2024) Contemporary
  2. 2 Alain Prost Alain Prost French racing driver (born 1955) Contemporary
  3. 3 Alain Robert Alain Robert French rock and urban climber (born 1962) Contemporary
  4. 4 Alain de Botton Alain de Botton British author (born 1969) Contemporary
  5. 5 Alain Ducasse Alain Ducasse French-born Monégasque chef (born 1956) Contemporary
  6. 6 Alain Badiou Alain Badiou French philosopher (born 1937) Contemporary
  7. 7 Alain Chabat Alain Chabat French actor and director (born 1958) Contemporary
  8. 8 Alain Resnais Alain Resnais French film director (1922–2014) Contemporary
  9. 9 Alain de Benoist Alain de Benoist French journalist and political theorist (born 1943) Contemporary
  10. 10 Alain Robbe-Grillet Alain Robbe-Grillet French writer and film director (1922–2008) Contemporary
  11. 11 Alain Giresse Alain Giresse French football manager (born 1952) Contemporary
  12. 12 Alain Berset Alain Berset Swiss Federal Councillor from 2012 to 2023 b. 1972 · Contemporary
  13. 13 Alain Aspect Alain Aspect French physicist (born 1947) Contemporary
  14. 14 Alain Boghossian French footballer (born 1970) Contemporary
  15. 15 Alain Juppé Alain Juppé French politician (born 1945) Contemporary
  16. 16 Alain Poher Alain Poher French politician (1909–1996) Contemporary
  17. 17 Alain Finkielkraut Alain Finkielkraut French philosopher (born 1949) Contemporary
  18. 18 Alain Connes Alain Connes French mathematician (born 1947) Contemporary
  19. 19 Alain Bashung Alain Bashung French singer (1947–2009) Contemporary
  20. 20 Alain Cuny Alain Cuny French actor (1908–1994) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Alain, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Alain?

The median living Alain is about 32 years old. Half of all living Alains are between 17 and 45 years old.

How many people named Alain are alive today?

An estimated 3,800 people named Alain are alive in the United States, based on 3,986 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Alain mean?

A male given name from French, equivalent to English Alan.

How popular is the name Alain in 2025?

Alain ranked #2,836 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 44 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Alain?

3,986 babies have been named Alain in the United States since 1942, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Alain most popular?

Alain peaked in 1988, when 92 newborns received the name.

Is Alain a boy or girl name?

Alain is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Alain rising or falling?

Alain is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Alain become more popular?

Alain is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 40 boys named Alain in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Alain?

Well-known people named Alain include Alain Delon (actor), Alain Prost (racing driver), Alain Robert (mountaineer).

Names like Alain

Names that sound and feel close to Alain: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Alain with similar names → More names starting with A →