Boy's name

Ailín

“AL-een”

probably a diminutive of a name beginning Ail-, 'noble'

Allen

Source: Woulfe, Irish Names and Surnames (1923) ↗

The story behind the name

Woulfe calls it an ancient Irish personal name and is careful to say 'probably' about its meaning. In English it became Allen.

Quick answers

How do you pronounce Ailín?

Ailín is pronounced “AL-een”. Irish has three main dialect groups (Ulster, Connacht and Munster) and many names are said differently in each. The respellings here give the pronunciation most commonly heard in Irish English; where a well-known variant exists, both are shown.

What does the name Ailín mean?

Ailín means probably a diminutive of a name beginning Ail-, 'noble'.

Is Ailín a boy's or a girl's name?

Ailín is traditionally a boy's name in Ireland.

How else is Ailín spelled?

Other spellings and equivalents include Allen. Irish names were written down by English-speaking clerks for centuries, which is why so many spellings survive for one name.

Related names

Ailill Ailbhe Ailís

Meanings follow Ó Corráin & Maguire's Irish Names and Woulfe; pronunciations give the commonest Irish-English form. Know this name better — a dialect pronunciation, a family tradition? Tell us. · All Irish names A–Z