Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Alannah

Alannah may have developed from one of three places. For one, Alana (and thus Alannah) could be considered the feminized form of the Celtic/Gaelic male name Alan which is probably derived from a Gaelic diminutive meaning “little rock”. Secondly, Alannah is the anglicized variation of an old Gaelic term of endearment “a leanbh” (pronounced alanna) which means “O child”. This Gaelic term is often translated to “my darling” or “dear child” to underscore the warmth of the expression. Outside of these Celtic/Gaelic roots, Alana is also a Hawaiian name that signifies a “beautiful offering” or from the Polynesian “Alana” indicating a “new beginning”. Most likely, Alannah is being used in the Gaelic sense of “O child, my darling” because it’s currently ranked on the Top 100 list of baby girl names in Ireland. The name also does moderately well in Australia.

All About the Baby Name – Alannah

Personality

OF THE GIRL NAME ALANNAH

Romance is the hallmark of the Six personality. They exude nurturing, loving, and caring energy. Sixes are in love with the idea of love in its idealized form - and with their magnetic personalities, they easily draw people toward them. Like the number Two personality, they seek balance and harmony in their life and the world at large. They are conscientious and service-oriented, and a champion for the underdog. These personalities naturally attract money and are usually surrounded by lovely material objects - but their human relationships are always primary. They thrive in giving back to others rather than being motivated by their own desires. This is when they achieve great things. Sixes are natural teachers, ministers and counselors.

Popularity

OF THE GIRL NAME ALANNAH

The Alannah spelling is pretty new to the U.S. charts. While Alana first appeared in 1944, Alannah didn’t join the naming party until 2007 (except for a brief appearance in 1990). Alannah remains at the bottom of America’s Top 1000 list of favorite girl names, but at least she’s getting enough play to even make the charts. It seems that this particular spelling has the closest connection to the “a leanbh” Gaelic term which is a lovely sentiment for any “dear child”. It’s also an attractive choice for parents who are drawn to Irish names and those who prefer more fanciful spellings of names. No matter which potential etymology appeals to you, this is a feel-good name with all around positive meaning.

Quick Facts

ON ALANNAH

GENDER:

Girl

ORIGIN:

Celtic

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

3

RANKING POPULARITY:

861

PRONUNCIATION:

ah-LAH-nah

SIMPLE MEANING:

O child; my darling

Characteristics

OF ALANNAH

Humanitarian

Community-minded

Family-oriented

Loving

Affectionate

Compassionate

Sensitive

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Alannah

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME ALANNAH

We cannot find any significant literary characters by the name of Alannah

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME ALANNAH

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Alannah


Popular Songs

ON ALANNAH

We cannot find any popular or well-known songs with the name of Alannah


Famous People

NAMED ALANNAH

Alannah Myles (Canadian singer/songwriter)
Alannah Currie (New Zealand musician, former member of the '80s band Thompson Twins)

Children of Famous People

NAMED ALANNAH

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Alannah

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME ALANNAH

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Alannah