How to say it
a · LAN · na
əˈlæn.ə
Feminine
Alanna
O child, or fair
What it means
Partly the feminine of Alan ('handsome' or 'little rock'), partly from the Irish endearment a leanbh, 'O child.'
Alanna sits on two roots. One is the feminine of Alan, a Breton-Irish name usually read as 'handsome' or 'little rock.' The other is the tender Irish address a leanbh, 'O child,' which Irish-American speakers anglicized as alanna, a word you'd murmur to a baby. Tamora Pierce's knight-heroine Alanna gave it a fantasy-adventure edge. Lana and Allie are the natural shorts.
How to spell Alanna
The standard spelling is Alanna. Common variants include Alana, Alannah, Alanah, but Alanna is the most widely used form.
Popularity over time
peaked at #280 in 2025, currently #280 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–2025. Reviewed July 2026. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Spelling
Alana, Alanna, and Alannah are all in use; the double-n and -ah endings are the dressier ones.
- Nickname
Lana and Allie both drop out easily.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Alanna the knight-heroine of Tamora Pierce's Song of the Lioness series
Spelling variants
- Alana
- Alannah
- Alanah
Names with the same feeling
See Alanna from another angle
By meaning
By style
Common questions
- What does the name Alanna mean?
- Partly the feminine of Alan ('handsome' or 'little rock'), partly from the Irish endearment a leanbh, 'O child.'
- What does Alanna mean in Irish?
- In Irish, Alanna means "O child, or fair." Alanna sits on two roots. One is the feminine of Alan, a Breton-Irish name usually read as 'handsome' or 'little rock.' The other is the tender Irish address a leanbh, 'O child,' which Irish-American speakers anglicized as alanna, a word you'd murmur to a baby. Tamora Pierce's knight-heroine Alanna gave it a fantasy-adventure edge. Lana and Allie are the natural shorts.
- How do you pronounce Alanna?
- Alanna is pronounced əˈlæn.ə. Say it as a-LAN-na, with the stress on the "lan" syllable.
- How do you spell Alanna?
- The standard spelling is Alanna. Common spelling variants include Alana, Alannah, Alanah.
- Is Alanna a boy or girl name?
- Alanna is traditionally a feminine name.
- How popular is the name Alanna?
- Alanna ranked #280 in the U.S. in 2025, according to Social Security Administration data.