boy's name
Alban
al-BAHN
- Origin French
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Rare
- Births on record 30,932
France
#158
2025 births
Alban is a boy's name of Latin origin meaning "white" or "of Alba," and its saint was the first Christian martyr in Britain. It ranks 158th in France and is stable in our data.
- Alban is a name of French origin.
- Peaked in France in 2007, when 650 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade in France.
- Today about 1 in 1,551 babies in France is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1900.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Alban over time
Births per decade in France, 1900s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1900s | 640 |
| 1910s | 620 |
| 1920s | 735 |
| 1930s | 525 |
| 1940s | 380 |
| 1950s | 490 |
| 1960s | 855 |
| 1970s | 3,345 |
| 1980s | 4,610 |
| 1990s | 4,100 |
| 2000s | 5,590 |
| 2010s | 5,170 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 2,435 |
What Alban means
Alban means white, or from Alba. The Latin albus is white, and Alba was a place name built on it — so the name may describe a color or a birthplace, and the sources do not settle which.
Where Alban comes from
Alban comes from the Latin Albanus, from albus, white, or from one of the several places called Alba. Saint Alban is the first recorded Christian martyr in Britain, executed at Verulamium — now St Albans — in the third or fourth century after sheltering a priest and taking his place. Bede tells the story at length, including the detail of the executioner's eyes falling out. A separate line runs through Albania, whose name is unrelated to the Latin in origin, and the Albanian given name Alban is a nineteenth-century national revival coinage rather than a survival. The Scottish Alba, the Gaelic name for Scotland, is a third and older word, from a Celtic root for a high or white place, which also stands behind Albion.
Alban in use
Alban ranks 158th in France with about 380 births in 2025 and is stable in our data with a peak in 2007. Our records carry it from 1900. It is rare elsewhere at 2,169th in England and Wales — surprising for a name whose saint gave an English city its name — and 10,884th in the United States. The French use is unconnected to the English saint and follows the Latin name directly.
How popular is Alban?
In 2025, Alban was given to 380 babies in France, ranking #158 that year. It is a rare choice.
Where Alban is used
French counts are rounded to the nearest five and nothing below five is published, so these figures show the shape of the name's use rather than an exact tally. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Alban
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Alban also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Alban over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Alban in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Alban
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Alban — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Alban
What does the name Alban mean?
Alban means "white," from the Latin albus, or "of Alba," from the place name.
Who was Saint Alban?
The first recorded Christian martyr in Britain, executed at Verulamium — now St Albans — for sheltering a priest.
Is Alban related to Albania?
Not in origin. The Albanian given name is a nineteenth-century national revival coinage.
How popular is Alban?
158th in France.
Is Alban a girl's or a boy's name?
Alban is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Alban?
Alban has 2 syllables.
Is Alban a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Alban currently ranks #158 in France. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.