Alain is a boy name with a rare feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Alain means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Alain across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Alain has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Alain is a boy name of Celtic/French origin meaning “variant of Alan, handsome or rock”. The French form of Alan, of uncertain Breton origin.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 3,986 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 41 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 18 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 15 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Alain per year, United States (1942 to 2025). United States peaked in 1988 (92/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1987 (5/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2014 (5/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1988 (5/yr).
Alain is an uncommon baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1988, when it ranked #2,442 nationally (given to 97 babies that year).
Ailany · Alan · Elaine · Allen · Allan · Alina · Alana · Alaina
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