Meaning and history
Ailean is a Scottish Gaelic masculine form of Alan. Alan’s deeper origin is uncertain; proposals connect it with Breton or other Celtic sources, or with the name of the ancient Iranian Alans, but no single derivation or meaning is secure. The name entered Scotland during the Middle Ages and became established in Gaelic-speaking communities. Its usual English equivalent is Alan, while its culturally correct Gaelic pronunciation differs from what English spelling conventions might suggest.