Alan (name)
Encyclopedia
Alan
is a masculine given name
in the English language
. There are numerous differing etymologies attributed to the name. The name was first introduced into England by Bretons
who took part in the Norman Invasion in the 11th century. Today there are numerous variations of Alan, a short form, and there are also numerous feminine forms of the name as well. Alan has many forms in other languages. Alan is also an Old Breton personal name
(from which the modern English Alan is ultimately derived), as well as being a Norman French name.
in the English language
. The name, or forms of the name, where brought to England
by people from Brittany
, in the 11th century; later the name spread north into Scotland
and west into Ireland
. In Ireland and Scotland there are Gaelic forms of the name which may, or may not be etymologically related to the name introduced by the Bretons.
The leading Celtic etymology attributed to the name is that it may be a diminutive
of a word meaning "rock
". For example, the modern Irish
ailín means "little rock". Similarly, according to Patrick Woulfe, the Irish name Ailín is derived from diminutive ail, which means "noble", "rock". Woulfe stated that this name a pet form of some other name beginning with the first element Ail-. Forms of the Gaelic name appear in early records British records; the Latin
form Ailenus was recorded by Adomnán (died 704). Another Celtic etymology attributed to the name is from the Irish álainn and Scottish Gaelic àlainn, which means "beautiful". Similarly, another derivation of the name is from a Celtic word, meaning "harmony".
According to 19th century philologist Alexander Macbain
, while the various forms of the Gaelic name may be derived from a Gaelic word meaning "rock", the forms of the names used by the Bretons and Normans
(who introduced their names into Britain and Ireland) is derived from the name of the Alamanni
. The Alamanni were a collection of various Germanic peoples
who are first recorded in the 3rd century CE in what is today south-west Germany
; in the 5th century they spread into what is today north-east France
and into the north of what is today Switzerland
. The name of the Alamanni is derived from alamans, meaning "all the people". It has been said that one of the earliest forms of the Breton Alan is as Alamnvs, which appears on coins dating to the 10th century. This form of the name is said by some etymologists to suggest the name is linked to that of the Alamanni.
Another explanation of the name is that the modern English Alan, and French Alain
, are derived from the name of the Alans
. The Alans were an Indo-Iranian
people who lived north of the Caucasus Mountains
in what is today Russia
, and who were known to Classical
writers in the 1st century CE. According to historian Bernard Bachrach
, the Alans setttled in parts of what is today France, including Brittany, in the Early Middle Ages
. Bachrach stated that the use of forms of the name in given names, surnames, and place names, are evidence of the continued influence of the Alans on the Gaulish, Breton and Frankish peoples.
. In England, the given names Allan and Allen are considerably less popular than Alan. However, in America all three are generally about the same in popularity.
Alun is and old masculine given name in the Welsh language
; although it is not directly related to Alan, today it is generally used as a variant form of the English name. An earlier bearer of this name is Alun of Dyfed, a character in the Mabinogion
. The name became popular in modern times when it was adopted as a bardic name
by John Blackwell
, a 19th century Welsh poet.
This name is short form of numerous other etymologically unrelated names that begin with this syllable
.
Alain; a variant of this feminine name is Alayna. A variant form of Alaina is Alaine, although it can also be a variant form of the etymologically unrelated Elaine.
by Breton
s who took part in the Norman Invasion in the mid 11th century. Forms of the name were in use much earlier in what is today Brittany, France
. An early figure who bore the name was St Alan, a 5th century bishop of Quimper
. This saint became a cult figure in the Brittany during the Middle Ages
. Another early bearer of the name was St Alan, a 6th century Cornish
saint, who has a church dedicated to his memory in Cornwall
(for example see St Allen
, a civil parish in Cornwall named after this saint).
Today the use of the given name (and its variants) is due to its popularity among the Bretons who imported the name to England, and later to Ireland
. The Bretons formed a significant part of William, Duke of Normandy's army at the Battle of Hastings
in 1066. Later many Bretons were granted lands throughout William's freshly conquered kingdom
. The most notable Breton Alan, Earl of Richmond, a cadet
of the ducal house of Brittany, who was awarded with a large swath of lands in England - specifically lands in what is today Lincolnshire
and East Anglia
. The Breton character in many English counties can be traced through Breton personal names still in use in the 12th centuries. Today many English surnames are derived from medieval Breton personal names (one of which was Alan). The name ranked 8th in popular in Lincolnshire, in the 12th century, where it was about even with Simon, and more numerous than Henry. Early occurrences of the name in British records include: Alanus in 1066 (in the Domesday Book
); and Alain in 1183. The name became popular in Scotland in part through the Stewarts. This family descends from Alan fitz Flaad, an Anglo-Breton knight, who possessed lands in what is modern day Shropshire
, England.
is a masculine given name
Given name
A given name, in Western contexts often referred to as a first name, is a personal name that specifies and differentiates between members of a group of individuals, especially in a family, all of whose members usually share the same family name...
in the English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. There are numerous differing etymologies attributed to the name. The name was first introduced into England by Bretons
Breton people
The Bretons are an ethnic group located in the region of Brittany in France. They trace much of their heritage to groups of Brythonic speakers who emigrated from southwestern Great Britain in waves from the 3rd to 6th century into the Armorican peninsula, subsequently named Brittany after them.The...
who took part in the Norman Invasion in the 11th century. Today there are numerous variations of Alan, a short form, and there are also numerous feminine forms of the name as well. Alan has many forms in other languages. Alan is also an Old Breton personal name
Personal name
A personal name is the proper name identifying an individual person, and today usually comprises a given name bestowed at birth or at a young age plus a surname. It is nearly universal for a human to have a name; except in rare cases, for example feral children growing up in isolation, or infants...
(from which the modern English Alan is ultimately derived), as well as being a Norman French name.
Etymology and early history
Alan is a masculine given nameGiven name
A given name, in Western contexts often referred to as a first name, is a personal name that specifies and differentiates between members of a group of individuals, especially in a family, all of whose members usually share the same family name...
in the English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. The name, or forms of the name, where brought to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
by people from Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
, in the 11th century; later the name spread north into Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and west into Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. In Ireland and Scotland there are Gaelic forms of the name which may, or may not be etymologically related to the name introduced by the Bretons.
The leading Celtic etymology attributed to the name is that it may be a diminutive
Diminutive
In language structure, a diminutive, or diminutive form , is a formation of a word used to convey a slight degree of the root meaning, smallness of the object or quality named, encapsulation, intimacy, or endearment...
of a word meaning "rock
Rock (geology)
In geology, rock or stone is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids.The Earth's outer solid layer, the lithosphere, is made of rock. In general rocks are of three types, namely, igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic...
". For example, the modern Irish
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
ailín means "little rock". Similarly, according to Patrick Woulfe, the Irish name Ailín is derived from diminutive ail, which means "noble", "rock". Woulfe stated that this name a pet form of some other name beginning with the first element Ail-. Forms of the Gaelic name appear in early records British records; the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
form Ailenus was recorded by Adomnán (died 704). Another Celtic etymology attributed to the name is from the Irish álainn and Scottish Gaelic àlainn, which means "beautiful". Similarly, another derivation of the name is from a Celtic word, meaning "harmony".
According to 19th century philologist Alexander Macbain
Alexander Macbain
Alexander Macbain was a Scottish philologist, best known today for An Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language .-Early life and education:...
, while the various forms of the Gaelic name may be derived from a Gaelic word meaning "rock", the forms of the names used by the Bretons and Normans
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
(who introduced their names into Britain and Ireland) is derived from the name of the Alamanni
Alamanni
The Alamanni, Allemanni, or Alemanni were originally an alliance of Germanic tribes located around the upper Rhine river . One of the earliest references to them is the cognomen Alamannicus assumed by Roman Emperor Caracalla, who ruled the Roman Empire from 211 to 217 and claimed thereby to be...
. The Alamanni were a collection of various Germanic peoples
Germanic peoples
The Germanic peoples are an Indo-European ethno-linguistic group of Northern European origin, identified by their use of the Indo-European Germanic languages which diversified out of Proto-Germanic during the Pre-Roman Iron Age.Originating about 1800 BCE from the Corded Ware Culture on the North...
who are first recorded in the 3rd century CE in what is today south-west Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
; in the 5th century they spread into what is today north-east France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and into the north of what is today Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. The name of the Alamanni is derived from alamans, meaning "all the people". It has been said that one of the earliest forms of the Breton Alan is as Alamnvs, which appears on coins dating to the 10th century. This form of the name is said by some etymologists to suggest the name is linked to that of the Alamanni.
Another explanation of the name is that the modern English Alan, and French Alain
Alain (given name)
Alain is also widely used as a personal name and is the French form of Alan:*Alain, bishop of Auxerre , a Cistercian abbot and bishop of Auxerre from 1152 to 1167*Alain Acard , a French sprint canoer...
, are derived from the name of the Alans
Alans
The Alans, or the Alani, occasionally termed Alauni or Halani, were a group of Sarmatian tribes, nomadic pastoralists of the 1st millennium AD who spoke an Eastern Iranian language which derived from Scytho-Sarmatian and which in turn evolved into modern Ossetian.-Name:The various forms of Alan —...
. The Alans were an Indo-Iranian
Indo-Iranians
Indo-Iranian peoples are a linguistic group consisting of the Indo-Aryan, Iranian, Dardic and Nuristani peoples; that is, speakers of Indo-Iranian languages, a major branch of the Indo-European language family....
people who lived north of the Caucasus Mountains
Caucasus Mountains
The Caucasus Mountains is a mountain system in Eurasia between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea in the Caucasus region .The Caucasus Mountains includes:* the Greater Caucasus Mountain Range and* the Lesser Caucasus Mountains....
in what is today Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, and who were known to Classical
Classical antiquity
Classical antiquity is a broad term for a long period of cultural history centered on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of ancient Greece and ancient Rome, collectively known as the Greco-Roman world...
writers in the 1st century CE. According to historian Bernard Bachrach
Bernard Bachrach
Bernard S. Bachrach is an American historian and a professor of history at the University of Minnesota. He specialises in the Early Middle Ages, mainly on the topics of Medieval warfare, Medieval Jewry, and early Angevin history...
, the Alans setttled in parts of what is today France, including Brittany, in the Early Middle Ages
Early Middle Ages
The Early Middle Ages was the period of European history lasting from the 5th century to approximately 1000. The Early Middle Ages followed the decline of the Western Roman Empire and preceded the High Middle Ages...
. Bachrach stated that the use of forms of the name in given names, surnames, and place names, are evidence of the continued influence of the Alans on the Gaulish, Breton and Frankish peoples.
Variations of the name
There are numerous variations of the name in English. The variants Allan and Allen are generally considered to be derived from the surnames Allan and Allen. The form Allan is used mainly in Scotland and North AmericaNorth America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. In England, the given names Allan and Allen are considerably less popular than Alan. However, in America all three are generally about the same in popularity.
Alun is and old masculine given name in the Welsh language
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
; although it is not directly related to Alan, today it is generally used as a variant form of the English name. An earlier bearer of this name is Alun of Dyfed, a character in the Mabinogion
Mabinogion
The Mabinogion is the title given to a collection of eleven prose stories collated from medieval Welsh manuscripts. The tales draw on pre-Christian Celtic mythology, international folktale motifs, and early medieval historical traditions...
. The name became popular in modern times when it was adopted as a bardic name
Bardic name
A bardic name is a pseudonym, used in Wales, Cornwall and Brittany, by poets and other artists, especially those involved in the eisteddfod movement....
by John Blackwell
John Blackwell (Alun)
John Blackwell , who used the bardic name Alun, was a Welsh language poet, born near Mold, Flintshire, in north Wales. He was educated at Jesus College, Oxford.-External links:*...
, a 19th century Welsh poet.
Short forms
The short form of Alan is Al (icon)This name is short form of numerous other etymologically unrelated names that begin with this syllable
Syllable
A syllable is a unit of organization for a sequence of speech sounds. For example, the word water is composed of two syllables: wa and ter. A syllable is typically made up of a syllable nucleus with optional initial and final margins .Syllables are often considered the phonological "building...
.
Feminine forms
There are numerous feminine forms of Alan. The form Alana is a Latinate feminisation of the name. Variant of Alana include: Alanah, Alanna, Alannah, and Allana. Another feminine form is Alaina, derived from the FrenchFrench language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
Alain; a variant of this feminine name is Alayna. A variant form of Alaina is Alaine, although it can also be a variant form of the etymologically unrelated Elaine.
In other languages
- EnglishEnglish languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
: Alaina, feminine. - EnglishEnglish languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
: Alaine, feminine. - EnglishEnglish languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
: Alayna, feminine. - EnglishEnglish languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
: Alana, feminine. - EnglishEnglish languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
: Alanah, feminine. - EnglishEnglish languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
: Alanna, feminine. - EnglishEnglish languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
: Alannah, feminine. - EnglishEnglish languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
: Allana, feminine. - FrenchFrench languageFrench is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
: AlainAlain (given name)Alain is also widely used as a personal name and is the French form of Alan:*Alain, bishop of Auxerre , a Cistercian abbot and bishop of Auxerre from 1152 to 1167*Alain Acard , a French sprint canoer...
, masculine. - IrishIrish languageIrish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
: Ailín, masculine. - IrishIrish languageIrish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
: Ailéne, masculine. - LatinLatinLatin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
: Alanus, masculine. - LatinLatinLatin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
: Ailenus, masculine, the Latin form of Ailín. - Old Breton: Alan, masculine.
- Old FrenchOld FrenchOld French was the Romance dialect continuum spoken in territories that span roughly the northern half of modern France and parts of modern Belgium and Switzerland from the 9th century to the 14th century...
: Alain, masculine. - Old FrenchOld FrenchOld French was the Romance dialect continuum spoken in territories that span roughly the northern half of modern France and parts of modern Belgium and Switzerland from the 9th century to the 14th century...
: Alein, masculine. - Norman French: Alan, masculine.
- Scottish Gaelic: Ailean, masculine.
- SpanishSpanish languageSpanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
: Alano, masculine. - WelshWelsh languageWelsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
: Alun, masculine.
Popularity and use
The name was brought to EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
by Breton
Breton people
The Bretons are an ethnic group located in the region of Brittany in France. They trace much of their heritage to groups of Brythonic speakers who emigrated from southwestern Great Britain in waves from the 3rd to 6th century into the Armorican peninsula, subsequently named Brittany after them.The...
s who took part in the Norman Invasion in the mid 11th century. Forms of the name were in use much earlier in what is today Brittany, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. An early figure who bore the name was St Alan, a 5th century bishop of Quimper
Quimper
Quimper is a commune and capital of the Finistère department of Brittany in northwestern France.-Administration:Quimper is the prefecture of the Finistère department.-Geography:...
. This saint became a cult figure in the Brittany during the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
. Another early bearer of the name was St Alan, a 6th century Cornish
Cornish people
The Cornish are a people associated with Cornwall, a county and Duchy in the south-west of the United Kingdom that is seen in some respects as distinct from England, having more in common with the other Celtic parts of the United Kingdom such as Wales, as well as with other Celtic nations in Europe...
saint, who has a church dedicated to his memory in Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
(for example see St Allen
St Allen
St Allen is a civil parish in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The church town of St Allen is an isolated hamlet and the main settlement in the parish is Zelah which is situated on the A30 trunk road four miles north of Truro....
, a civil parish in Cornwall named after this saint).
Today the use of the given name (and its variants) is due to its popularity among the Bretons who imported the name to England, and later to Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. The Bretons formed a significant part of William, Duke of Normandy's army at the Battle of Hastings
Battle of Hastings
The Battle of Hastings occurred on 14 October 1066 during the Norman conquest of England, between the Norman-French army of Duke William II of Normandy and the English army under King Harold II...
in 1066. Later many Bretons were granted lands throughout William's freshly conquered kingdom
Kingdom of England
The Kingdom of England was, from 927 to 1707, a sovereign state to the northwest of continental Europe. At its height, the Kingdom of England spanned the southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain and several smaller outlying islands; what today comprises the legal jurisdiction of England...
. The most notable Breton Alan, Earl of Richmond, a cadet
Cadet
A cadet is a trainee to become an officer in the military, often a person who is a junior trainee. The term comes from the term "cadet" for younger sons of a noble family.- Military context :...
of the ducal house of Brittany, who was awarded with a large swath of lands in England - specifically lands in what is today Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
and East Anglia
East Anglia
East Anglia is a traditional name for a region of eastern England, named after an ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom, the Kingdom of the East Angles. The Angles took their name from their homeland Angeln, in northern Germany. East Anglia initially consisted of Norfolk and Suffolk, but upon the marriage of...
. The Breton character in many English counties can be traced through Breton personal names still in use in the 12th centuries. Today many English surnames are derived from medieval Breton personal names (one of which was Alan). The name ranked 8th in popular in Lincolnshire, in the 12th century, where it was about even with Simon, and more numerous than Henry. Early occurrences of the name in British records include: Alanus in 1066 (in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
); and Alain in 1183. The name became popular in Scotland in part through the Stewarts. This family descends from Alan fitz Flaad, an Anglo-Breton knight, who possessed lands in what is modern day Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
, England.