Since 1900, more than 500,000 people have borne the first name Alain. The origins and meaning of the first name Alain diverge. There are 4 different ones:
- a Latin origin coming from "Alanus".
- An Iranian origin coming from "Alain" and "Allain". A group of Iranian origin would then have settled in Brittany where these two first names would have merged with "Alain".
- An Indo-European origin coming from "alum" which means beautiful and harmonious.
- A Celtic origin which would come from Welsh and which would mean deer, fawn.